ICE Activity Prompts Response From Leaders In Union County

SUMMIT, NJ — Leaders within the City of Summit are addressing ongoing concerns of residents within the community and in other parts of the country surrounding the presence of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials.

On Saturday, 37-year-old Alex Pretti was shot dead during an altercation with agents in Minneapolis, Minnesota. This was the second deadly confrontation over just a few weeks in the state, after resident Renee Good was killed while driving her car near a group of agents.

Mayor Elizabeth Fagan, Summit Police Chief Ryan Peters, and Summit Schools Superintendent Scott Hough together released a joint statement regarding the potential impact of federal officers in and around the City.

"All residents should feel comfortable using City services, contacting the Police Department when help is need, and sending their children to school," the City said in a social media post on Thursday.

In accordance with "longstanding City practice" and guidance from the New Jersey Attorney General, no departments will ask about a person's immigration status as part of a routine service or when residents ask for help.

Federal immigration officers do not coordinate their actions with the City of Summit, the Summit Police Department, or locally elected officials, the statement clarified.

The City is also not alerted to ICE actions in or around Summit.

Summit "officers do not stop, question, or detain individuals for the purpose of determining immigration status," leaders said.

Summit Police also do not take part in federal civil immigration enforcement operations or give them access to local resources.

No officer will ask about immigration status "unless it is necessary" for a case involving a serious offense and is directly relevant, consistent with New Jersey law.

School staff also have procedures ready should any safety concerns arise involving ICE agents, the City said.

"Summit is strongest when residents trust local government and feel comfortable seeking help, asking questions, and participating fully in community life," the statement from Fagan, Peters, and Hough concluded.

ICE agents conducted raids in nearby Somerset County on Jan. 12, pulling people from cars and detaining them, according to the Warren Township Democratic Committee.

A video shared with Patch showed a white van surrounded by multiple vehicles and authorities seen running over to it on Hillcrest Boulevard just off Exit 40 of Interstate 78 in Warren Township.

On a county level, the Union County Board of Commissioners acted on a measure to further aid immigrants from being deported on Oct. 23, 2025.

The Board approved Resolution 2025-796 on Oct. 23, encouraging the state to pass the Immigrant Trust Act (Senate Bill S3672 and Assembly Bill A4987).

READ MORE HERE: Immigrants In Union County: What Leaders Are Doing To Support Trust

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