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By Sonam Sheth
Evening Politics Editor
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A mayor in New Jersey said Thursday that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents raided "a local establishment" in Newark, New Jersey without a warrant and detained undocumented people, as well as citizens.
An ICE spokesperson told Newsweek in a statement: "U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement may encounter U.S. citizens while conducting field work 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."
Why It Matters
The news comes as the Trump administration has taken a series of steps to crack down on immigration and prepares to raid migrant communities across the U.S.
Read More on Politics
Immigration and border security were central pillars of Trump's 2024 campaign and he pledged to begin mass deportations on day one of his presidency. Since taking office, he's signed a slew of executive actions aimed at shutting down the southern border and ramping up deportations, but the details of how the orders will be enforced remain unclear.
What To Know
ICE "raided a local establishment in the City of Newark, detaining undocumented residents, as well as citizens, without producing a warrant," Newark mayor Ras J. Baraka said in a statement.
Baraka's office said one of the detainees is a military veteran "who suffered the indignity of having the legitimacy of his military documentation questioned."
"This egregious act is in plain violation of the Fourth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution which guarantees the 'right of the people be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against reasonable searches and seizures...'" the statement continued.
"Newark will not stand by idly while people are being unlawfully terrorized. I will be holding a press conference in alliance with partners ready and willing to defend and protect civil and human rights," Baraka's statement said.
Democratic Representative LaMonica McIver, whose district includes Newark, told Newsweek in a statement that her office has reached out to the Department of Homeland Security to "get answers" regarding Thursday's operation.
"Already, Trump's attacks on immigrant communities are hitting home and we will not back down," McIver said. "I am in contact with Mayor Baraka, and other local and federal officials as more unfolds. We will always fight for the dignity and rights of everyone in our district and across the country."
In addition to promising large-scale raids, Trump signed executive orders seeking to end birthright citizenship; designating Mexican drug cartels foreign terrorist organizations; and declaring a national emergency at the southern border, allowing him to use federal funding to construct a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border without congressional approval.
He also reinstated the "Remain in Mexico" policy, which required asylum seekers to stay in Mexico while their cases go through courts in the U.S. And he suspended the Refugee Admission Program "until such time as the further entry into the United States of refugees aligns with the interests of the United States."
What People Are Saying
New Jersey Representative Bonnie Watson Coleman excoriated ICE in a statement: "This is a disgrace. This is what we expect from two-bit dictators in banana republics. I condemn in the strongest possible terms this disgusting and callous disregard for the laws of New Jersey, the rights of our residents, and the Constitution of the United States."
**Ruwa Romman, a member of Georgia's House of Representatives, wrote on X: "**I know folks think we're being hysterical about the Laken Riley Act and Trump's EO's but ICE just did a raid in Newark where they detained undocumented residents as well as citizens (including a veteran), without producing a warrant."
**The New Jersey Alliance for Immigrant Justice, the state's largest immigrant coalition, said in a statement on X: "**Thank you Mayor Baraka and City of Newark for the rapid response to today's outrageous raid.You have rights. Regardless of your citizenship. Regardless of your paperwork. Regardless of your status."
What Happens Next
The president has pledged to carry out large-scale deportations of undocumented migrants and the Justice Department said state and local officials who resist immigration enforcement measures could face federal prosecution.
Acting deputy attorney general Emil Bove said in a memo to the DOJ's entire workforce that prosecutors should charge defendants with "the most serious, readily provable offense," adding that federal law "prohibits state and local actors from resisting, obstructing, and otherwise failing to comply with lawful immigration-related commands or requests."
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Update 01/23/25 9:28 p.m. ET: This article has been updated with additional information.
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