Rally For Immigrant Rights In Passaic Expected To Draw Hundreds

PASSAIC, NJ — Immigrant families and advocates plan to gather in North Jersey this weekend to protest recent raids by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and call for more protections for undocumented residents.

Hundreds of people are expected to march through Passaic on Saturday "to show strength, resilience and solidarity in the face of skyrocketing ICE raids and detentions," according to nonprofit immigrant rights group Make The Road New Jersey.

The event will begin at 2:30 p.m. at the corner of Passaic Avenue and Paulison Avenue. Marchers will hand out "Know Your Rights" materials to members of the community, informing them of the Constitutional protections they have in any encounter with ICE.

The "We Are Home: March for Immigrant Rights" comes amid a renewed focus on illegal immigration under President Donald Trump, which has seen ICE agents conduct operations in a number of Garden State towns and cities — including Passaic, which has a significant immigrant population.

Passaic Mayor Hector Lora is one of many who has addressed residents' fears and anxieties in recent weeks — including of those parents who are afraid to send their children to school, after Trump's administration announced that it would allow federal immigration agencies to make arrests at schools, churches and hospitals.

"They're looking for violent criminals. They're not trying to terrorize children," he said in a Facebook Live stream last week. "Please send your children to school."

Lora did say ICE was in the city Tuesday morning, along with Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms agents, to arrest a specific person — but emphasized that the agency is targeting those charged with violent crimes.

"We have cooperated and worked with agents throughout the years and throughout my administration, and they have specifically focused on violent criminals and those involved or engaged in heinous activities," he said, giving illegal arms dealing as an example.

"It is important that we stand up for hard working families and residents that are not engaged in violent or serious crimes, while still cooperating and supporting efforts to go after dangerous criminals," Lora continued.

Religious leaders gathered last Thursday to condemn the recent ICE raids across the state, calling them "inhumane" and acknowledging the fear some are experiencing.

Three U.S. Congress members from New Jersey also paid a surprise visit to the Elizabeth Detention Center on Monday, demanding more information from the feds in the wake of a controversial raid in Newark.

In a statement Sunday, ICE’s regional office in Newark said that the agency “prioritizes the arrest and removal of aliens who pose the greatest threat to our communities, as well as those who have been ordered removed from the U.S. by an immigration judge.”

New Jersey's ICE field director, John Tsoukaris, told NJ Spotlight News that there has been "a huge uptick in operations" since Trump took office. Tsoukaris said his office has been working with multiple federal partners to target specific people who have either been ordered to be removed or are committing crimes.

He said there has been no directive on a daily "arrest quota," and said agents would only enter places like schools and houses of worship "as a last resort."

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security said that ICE had made 8,768 “immigration violator arrests” and conducted 5,693 “Deportations/Removals”as of Tuesday, involving people from 121 countries. The charges these defendants face include aggravated assault, arson, homicide, human trafficking, and crimes against children, according to federal officials.

And although the focus on federal immigration enforcement has ramped up since Trump took office, ICE raids also took place in New Jersey during former president Joe Biden’s watch.

A major immigration sweep took place in North Jersey the week before Trump’s inauguration, with ICE’s Newark field office arresting 33 non-citizens who have committed or been accused of crimes. The federal agency said it targeted “noncitizens” who had felonies or misdemeanors for domestic violence, sexual abuse or exploitation, burglary, unlawful possession or use of a firearm, drug distribution or trafficking, and driving under the influence.

In July 2024, ICE carried out an early morning raid in Princeton. U.S. Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12) said she was “horrified” to learn about the raids, in which ICE agents did not identify themselves, drove into the community and stopped Hispanic/Latinx residents. The agents randomly interrogated them and demanded documentation.

“This kind of conduct has absolutely no place in our community or our country,” the congresswoman said.