An operation carried out by Immigration and Customs Enforcement ICE agents has sparked concern and heightened anxiety among some communities in Newark, as outraged local officials have pledged to investigate the event and to protect those who they believe should be shielded under the law.
A witness said they saw agents at the location at the time. Security camera video showed ICE agents escort a man from the warehouse and put him in the back of an unmarked car parked outside.
Multiple people were allegedly detained in Thursday's operation, including U. Baraka noted that one of those who was detained is a U. She said during a Friday press conference that witnesses described the agents as "heavily armed" and blocked the entrance while "scrambling down, banging down bathroom doors to make sure no one was hiding.
The mayor called the operation "egregious" and said it violated the Fourth Amendment of the Constitution, which clarifies "the right of the people be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures. During the press conference, a defiant Baraka vowed to defend his city, even under threat of prosecution. I'm not afraid of that. If he thinks that we're just going to go to jail quietly, he's got another thing coming," he said.
The spokesperson said it was part of an active investigation, and "per ICE policy, we cannot discuss ongoing investigations. A day after the operation, it was reported that ICE agents had been spotted Friday in other communities around Newark. But the NJAIJ said there were no raids they had been made aware of, nor had any arrests been reported.
