Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents conducted a raid at a business establishment in Newark on Thursday, detaining both undocumented immigrants and U.S. citizens, including a military veteran, as reported by the city’s mayor, Ras Baraka.
The raid in Newark, New Jersey’s most populous city, comes as part of a broader push by the Trump administration to intensify immigration enforcement.
President Donald Trump, who took office earlier this week, issued executive orders aimed at cracking down on illegal immigration, including deporting millions of individuals who are in the country unlawfully.
The mayor, known for his outspoken support of the city’s “sanctuary” policies, which are designed to protect migrants from federal immigration enforcement, condemned the actions of ICE agents.
According to Baraka, ICE agents detained individuals without producing a warrant, violating their constitutional rights.
Among those detained was a U.S. military veteran, whose military documentation was questioned by immigration officials during the raid.
Baraka expressed outrage over this, describing the treatment as an “indignity” and highlighting the violation of citizens’ rights.
“The people of Newark will not stand by idly while people are being unlawfully terrorized,” Baraka said in a statement.
He further emphasized that such actions were contrary to the values enshrined in the U.S. Constitution, which guarantees protection against unjust detention.
The specific business targeted in the raid was not disclosed by Baraka. Both the White House and ICE did not immediately provide comments on the raid.
Baraka has long been an advocate for immigrant protections and was one of the first local officials to speak out against the federal government’s aggressive immigration policies.
In 2017, he signed an executive order declaring Newark a “sanctuary” city, offering protection to undocumented immigrants.
This raid marks the latest in a series of actions taken by the Trump administration to address illegal immigration.
The U.S. is home to an estimated 11 million undocumented immigrants, with many residing in cities and states that have “sanctuary” laws that limit cooperation with federal immigration authorities.
Reports from U.S. media outlets indicate that ICE agents have recently arrested nearly 500 undocumented individuals in sanctuary cities, including those from New York and New Jersey.
These arrests are part of the broader strategy to enforce President Trump’s immigration policies, which have drawn widespread criticism from immigrant rights advocates and local governments.
As the Trump administration’s crackdown on illegal immigration continues, local officials like Baraka remain committed to protecting the rights of immigrants and resisting federal overreach in their communities.