ICE Raid Ensnared 15 People Headed To Work At NJ Landscaping Company, Witnesses Say

PRINCETON, NJ - More details have emerged on the U.S. Customs and Border Protection raid that took place in Princeton on Thursday.

According to witness testimonies, the 15 people who were detained by ICE were headed to work at a local landscaping company when they were arrested.

On Thursday evening immigration advocacy group Resistencia en Accion NJ held a media briefing where family members of detainees spoke about the incident.

One man whose brother was detained said he had been living in the area for over a year. He said the family was currently working on finding out where his brother was taken after detention.

Another Princeton resident whose uncle was detained said ICE agents took the men into custody and left all their belongings and the van on the side of the road.

As of Thursday evening, many families were working to find out the whereabouts of the detained men.

According to testimony, many detainees worked two jobs - at the landscaping company and local bars – to build a better life for their families.

On Thursday, ICE agents conducted a raid around 6:45 a.m. on Harrison Street, officials said. ICE Field Office Director confirmed to Princeton officials that 15 undocumented people were detained.

Municipal authorities and the Police Department said they had no prior information about their presence or actions. The local police department did not participate in federal immigration enforcement either, officials said.

While the U.S. Customs and Border Protection is not required to notify local officials, they sometimes do as a courtesy.

In the ICE raid that took place in Edison earlier this month, township officials confirmed that ICE "notified that Immigration Enforcement would be in the area."

Ana Paola, from Resistencia en Accion NJ said that the families of many Princeton detainees did not have the resources to obtain legal services or find out where their family member was taken.

In a statement, Sen. Andrew Zwicker condemned the ICE raid, saying it unleashed fear and chaos in communities.

"Let me be clear: immigrants are an essential, irreplaceable part of Princeton and all of New Jersey. No one should have to live in fear of masked federal agents snatching them from their homes, workplaces, or neighborhood streets," Zwicker said.

"These operations are a grotesque abuse of power and wholly un-American."

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