Son Of NJ Restaurant Owners Who Were Detained By ICE Is Also Facing Deportation, He Says

COLLINGSWOOD, NJ — The eldest son of Jersey Kebab's owners says that he, like his parents, is also battling to stay in the United States.

In February, immigration authorities detained Celal and Emine Emanet — the husband and wife who own Jersey Kebab in Haddon Township. Community support surged for the Emanets, who have since been released as they await future hearings in immigration court to determine whether they'll get deported.

Their eldest son, Muhammed Emanet, revealed that he too could be deported while speaking Saturday at the No Kings protest in Collingswood.

Muhammed Emanet, of Cherry Hill, says U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detained him in 2020 — years before his parents' arrests sent shockwaves through the region. The Turkey native had recently turned 21, which aged him out of legal residency as a dependent.

ICE raided Muhammed Emanet's house around 5 a.m. one morning while he was on winter break from college, he said.

"They only released me on the fact that I had paid for my next semester at county college," Emanet told thousands of attendees at the protest. "Because of that, I am able to stand among you guys."

Emanet says he's scheduled to return to Newark Immigration Court on Aug. 8, when a judge could decide whether he's deported.

On Saturday, Emanet said he would be "honored" to live here for the rest of his life. The crowd cheered and chanted, "You're our neighbor."

"Our entire family is in Turkey, but everyone here has become our family these last few years," he said.

An ICE spokesperson has not responded to Patch's request for comment as of this writing.

Muhammed Emanet operates Jersey Kebab with his parents and has frequently spoken publicly about the family's battle to remain in the country.

Celal and Emine moved to the United States in 2008 on a religious visa. They applied for green cards in 2016, when their visa was still in effect. But their case has remained open for nine years, leaving them in limbo.

ICE officers and U.S. Marshals raided Jersey Kebab on Feb. 25 and arrested the husband and wife. Celal was released later that day with an ankle monitor. But Emine was detained at the Elizabeth Contract Detention Facility in North Jersey until mid-March, when a judge set bond for her release.

Days after the raid, an ICE spokesperson told Patch that the Emanets were arrested as part of an ongoing investigation.

"As with any noncitizen in the United States without lawful status," the spokesperson said, "ICE officers make enforcement decisions on a case-by-case basis to focus on the greatest threats to homeland security in a professional and responsible manner informed by their experience as law enforcement officers."

The spokesperson declined to disclose the nature of the investigation or how the case allegedly tied into homeland security.

Immigration attorney Joseph Best, who has represented the Emanets, says the family poses no risk to national security or public safety.

"They are eager to pursue their cases together as a family, as the law provides," Best told Patch in March.

Community support for the Emanets surged after ICE raided Jersey Kebab. A GoFundMe supporting their legal battle generated more than $327,000 in a few weeks.

The GoFundMe says Celal and Emine hold a valid business license, pay taxes and have no criminal records. Their restaurant, located in the heart of Haddon Township, has a sign on the door stating it is "free to anyone with a disability, homeless, or simply cannot afford it."