NJ mayor slams 'egregious' ICE raid: 'Newark will not stand by idly'

The mayor of Newark, N.J. slammed the “egregious” raid by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents who, he says, raided a local establishment and detained undocumented immigrants and U.S. citizens.

Mayor Ras Baraka said ICE performed the Thursday raid without a warrant and the military veteran who was detained “suffered the indignity of having the legitimacy of his military documentation questioned.”

Baraka added the raid was a “plain violation” of the Fourth Amendment.

Newark Mayor Ras Baraka talks with the media at the 2022 MTV Video Music Awards at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, on Sunday, August 28, 2022. (AP Photo/Ted Shaffrey)

“Newark will not stand by idly while people are being unlawfully terrorized,” Baraka said in a statement on Thursday. “I will be holding a press conference in alliance with partners ready and willing to defend and protect civil and human rights.”

An ICE spokesperson told The Hill in an emailed statement that its agents "may encounter U.S. citizens while conducting fieldwork and may request identification to establish an individual's identity as was the case during a targeted enforcement operation at a worksite today in Newark, New Jersey."

“This is an active investigation, and, per ICE policy, we cannot discuss ongoing investigations,” the spokesperson added.

On Tuesday, President Trump’s administration permitted ICE to carry out arrests in churches and schools, revoking a guideline that barred arrest in “sensitive” areas.

Trump has repeatedly said on the campaign trail that he would perform mass deportations of immigrants who are in the country illegally. Since taking office on Monday, he has signed a number of executive orders intended to curb the influx of immigrants on the southern border.

Back in July 2017, Baraka signed a sanctuary city executive order in an effort to protect the city’s undocumented immigrants from Trump’s immigration policies.

Rep. LaMonica McIver (D-N.J.), whose district includes Newark, said her office has reached out to the Department of Homeland (DHS) for more information about the raid and "how it was allowed that ICE come in."

"Already, Trump’s attacks on immigrant communities are hitting home and we will not back down," McIver, who represents New Jersey’s 10th Congressional District, said in Thursday's statement, adding that she was in touch with Baraka along with local and federal officials.

In a joint statement Thursday night, Democratic New Jersey Sens. Cory Booker and Andy Kim expressed "concern" over new of the raid.

“We are deeply concerned about the news of an ICE raid in Newark today. Our offices have reached out to the Department of Homeland Security to demand answers," they wrote.

“Actions like this one sow fear in all of our communities — and our broken immigration system requires solutions, not fear tactics. We will continue to work with Mayor Baraka and other local officials to gather more information to ensure all New Jerseyans are safe and their dignity and rights are protected.”

Updated at 10:57 p.m. EST.

Topics

Newark mayor condemns warrantless immigration raid that ‘terrorized’ people

Ras Baraka and other state lawmakers express outrage as sanctuary cities nationwide brace for similar Ice actions. The mayor of Newark, New Jersey, said an immigration raid in the city was done ...
The Guardian - 3h
Federal agents seen taking part in a suspected ICE raid in Boston

Video shows several federal agents taking part in an apparent immigration raid in East Boston. Immigration and Customs officials have not commented on the operation. WBTS' Oscar Margain reports.
NBC News - 13h
Understanding ICE raids: What agents can and cannot do

Former ICE Director John Sandweg, who served in the Obama administration, explains what possible ICE raids might look like and how far agent authority really extends - especially as local ...
CBS News - 13h
How Trump's plans for mass deportations and ICE raids are playing out

ICE raids expected on sanctuary cities after Trump's inauguration largely failed, but executive orders on border security set the stage for further immigration actions.
NBC News - 2d
"Border czar" Tom Homan tells reporter that ICE officers were told to begin raids

"Border czar" Tom Homan told a news outlet that ICE officials have been instructed to begin arresting "those here illegally." Homan did not specify where the raids would take place. Civil trial ...
CBS News - 2d
NJ governor asks Trump to examine Manhattan congestion pricing

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy (D) on Monday asked President Trump to examine congestion pricing in Manhattan. “As you begin your second term as President, I welcome any opportunity to work with you ...
The Hill - 2d
Chicago migrant community prepares for possible ICE raids after Trump takes office

Local leaders and immigrant rights groups in Chicago met Saturday morning in the Pilsen neighborhood to make sure the community is prepared.
CBS News - 5d
Trump team now 'reviewing' plans for Chicago ICE raids: Incoming border czar

President-elect Donald Trump's border czar said the incoming administration is now "reviewing" whether to launch removal operations in Chicago.
ABC News - 5d
Annual ‘winners’ for most egregious US healthcare profiteering announced

Selling body parts without consent and billing desperate parents $97,599 for air transport among worst examples. The 2024 “winners” of the annual Shkreli awards , given each year to perpetrators ...
The Guardian - Jan. 7