Newark Mayor Ras Baraka condemned a warrantless ICE immigration raid at a local business, resulting in the detainment of both undocumented residents and citizens, among them a military veteran.
About a dozen ICE agents burst into Ocean Seafood Depot, located in the city’s Ironbound section on Adams and Delancey streets, around 11 a.m. on Thursday. The store’s owner, Luis Janota, said he was caught completely off guard by the agents, who then began asking workers to provide their documentation, though they did not appear to be looking for anyone in particular.
“They took three people who did not have any documentation on them,” Janota told PIX 11, including the store manager, who was detained despite showing agents his veteran’s card.
In a statement, ICE Newark later confirmed it conducted a “targeted enforcement operation at a worksite today in Newark, New Jersey,” further emphasizing that agents “may encounter U.S. citizens while conducting field work and may request identification to establish an individual’s identity,” as they did in this instance.
“This is an active investigation and, per ICE policy, we cannot discuss ongoing investigations,” the statement concluded.
Baraka blasted the surprise raid in a statement issued late Thursday night, insisting it was carried out without a warrant.
“Today, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents raided a local establishment in the City of Newark, detaining undocumented residents as well as citizens, without producing a warrant. One of the detainees is a U.S. military veteran who suffered the indignity of having the legitimacy of his military documentation questioned,” the mayor said. “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 unreasonable searches and seizures….’”
He concluded: “Newark will not stand by idly while people are being unlawfully terrorized.”
Democratic Sens. Cory Booker and Andy Kim, of New Jersey, echoed the sentiment, declaring in a joint statement that they were “deeply concerned about the news of an ICE raid in Newark today.”
They said their offices have reached out to the Department of Homeland Security.
“Actions like this one sow fear in all of our communities — and our broken immigration system requires solutions, not fear tactics,” the senators said.
The incident in Newark came after the Defense Department announced it would send 1,500 soldiers to the southern border, launching plans outlined in executive orders signed by President Trump aimed at cracking down on immigration. They also include efforts to end birthright citizenship, suspend the nation’s asylum system and deploy troops to the border.