Immigration quickly caught up with fears that mass deportations were on the rise

Last year in New Jersey, federal authorities detained more than 1,300 undocumented immigrants. This number is about 300 more than in 2023.

But on Thursday, less than a week into President Trump’s second term, the arrest of three people at a Newark warehouse seemed to drain the well of fears about mass deportations. in areas full of immigrants.

The streets around the warehouse were full of TV crews. Newark’s mayor held a news conference to criticize the use of immigration and customs officials as unconstitutional and to blame Mr. Trump , who campaigned on a promise to begin “the largest deportation program in American history.”

Whether Thursday’s arrest in Newark’s Ironbound neighborhood was part of a new crackdown, or typical of ICE enforcement activity in the city in recent years, was unclear. Immigration arrests are common in the city. Last month, under the leadership of former President Joseph R. Biden Jr., Newark-based ICE officials announced 33 arrests that were largely unknown to the public. And ICE officials did not respond to multiple requests for comment.

But the enforcement action has left migrants across the region frustrated. There have been reports of ICE officers knocking on doors in Vineland, in southern New Jersey’s agricultural region, which relies heavily on migrant workers. On Long Island, immigrant rights activists say they are struggling to report “encroachment” actions by ICE officials. And a police captain in Ossining, NY, Brendan Donohue, warned that rumors often multiply faster than reality.

“Fear spreads very quickly, and even the mere suggestion that ICE might be here becomes an ‘ICE is here’ kind of situation,” said Captain Donohue. “These things can snowball. , of course.”

Newark merchants who run a body shop and cafe near the fish distribution center, Ocean Seafood Depot, said Thursday’s midday attack was unusual for the industrial area, which is filled with high-rise buildings and fine restaurants. especially in the city.

Newark Mayor Ras J. Baraka, a Democrat running for governor, warned that the city intended to protect its residents.

“If he thinks we’re just going to quietly go to jail,” Mr. Baraka said of Trump, “he’s got something else coming.”

The immigration officials entered legally through the fish market in front of the settlement. Mr. Baraka, however, said they proceeded to a private supermarket, without a public order, where workers placed the fish and loaded it into delivery trucks.

He said ICE officials contested the validity of military IDs presented by U.S. citizens who worked at the warehouse and were questioned during the raid. Mr. Baraka urged workers and their employers to know their rights — before ICE officials show up.

“We can disagree on whether you support mass deportations or not,” Mr. Baraka said. “But the thing we have to agree on is – the thing that separates this country from many countries around the world – is the Constitution.”

“Everyone has a right to due process,” he added, “and no one can go around these laws.”

Amy Torres, executive director of the New Jersey Alliance for Immigrant Justice, said she rushed to the warehouse after receiving a report of the attack just before lunch on Thursday.

“They were heavily armed,” he said of the uniformed officers conducting the search.

“They blocked entry and exit. They chased each other by delivering ramps. They broke the bathroom door to make sure no one was hiding inside,” he said.

All but a few of the 80 or so people who work at the warehouse left abruptly during the day, fearing a return by law enforcement agencies, Ms. Torres said.

The results of Friday’s implementation are still to be seen. The restaurant along the usual commercial corridor next to the seafood factory was empty. There were few customers at a coffee shop that the owner said is filled every day by warehouse workers who come in to buy coffee before their time.

A Newark councilman who lives in the area, Michael Silva, said he also noticed an immediate change.

He said he often wakes up every morning at 4:45 am to the sound of his neighbors opening their gates to go to work.

“I didn’t hear that gate this morning,” said Mr. Silva, the son of Portuguese immigrants. “He told me he was afraid to go to work.”

Jessica Greenberg, legal director of CARECEN-NY, an organization that works with immigrant communities on Long Island, said alarm over Mr. Trump’s immigration policies has intensified in recent years. of the week.

“They’re going after people who were considered ‘low-hanging fruit’ under the previous administration,” Ms. Greenberg said, adding, “We’ve been on the phone with people while ICE was knocking on their doors or shortly after.” ICE’s left.”

ICE arrests are hardly new in the area. In December, while Mr. Biden was still in office, ICE officers based in Newark conducted what the agency called a “week-long, targeted, escalation operation.”

However, immigrant rights leaders have held a campaign to advise documented and undocumented residents of their rights in anticipation of Mr. Trump’s sweeping crackdown.

New Jersey education officials issued a directive this week to school leaders, providing guidance on what to do if a moving official shows up at a public school. – resident The directive came in response to Mr. Trump’s announcement on Tuesday that ICE and Homeland Security officials would no longer be barred from detaining people at schools or churches, the so-called It is a sensitive area that has been considered a safe area since 2011.

Rui Lorenço works at an auto repair shop in Newark’s Ironbound neighborhood, which is home to a large Portuguese, Brazilian and Ecuadorian population. He said he had noticed a growing uproar on social media last week.

Mr. Lorenço, who moved to the United States about five years ago from Lisbon, said he supported clearer immigration rules, not what he described as the “hate speech” being spread by Mr. Trump and his supporters. him.

“This is a country made of immigrants,” said Mr. Lorenço. “If they’re just coming to get people working, that’s a concern.”

Larissa Cardoso, 22, immigrated to the United States from Brazil about a year ago. He said he fears what tougher immigration policies could mean for him and his friends in the coming days.

“I’ve always dreamed of coming here, and I’m trying to do the right thing,” said Ms. Cardoso, a waitress and bartender at popular restaurant Ironbound who has been working to get legal immigration status.

“People come here because they literally want to change their lives,” he said. “With what’s happening now – their lives could be on hold.”

Hurubie Meko SY Lola Fadulu contributed to the report.