Trump intensifies his war on immigrants as U.S. officials search for a workplace in New Jersey
Following President Donald Trump's promise to deport millions of illegal immigrants, the raid on the most populated city in New Jersey is deemed unlawful by the mayor of Newark.
Following President Donald Trump's promise to deport millions of illegal immigrants, the raid on the most populated city in New Jersey is deemed unlawful by the mayor of Newark. On Thursday, January 23, 2025, U.S. immigration officials raided a job site in Newark, New Jersey, and arrested both U.S. citizens and illegal migrants. According to the mayor of the city, the raid entailed arresting a military veteran and violating the rights of the people.The raid on the most populated city in New Jersey, which had previously been praised by Mayor Ras Baraka for its "sanctuary" rules safeguarding migrants, comes after President Donald Trump promised to deport millions of illegal immigrants.After assuming office on Monday, January 20, 2025, Mr. Trump signed several executive actions aimed at cracking down on illegal immigration. He has taken action against authorities who oppose the implementation of his broad crackdown.
Raid on a Newark commercial establishment
When Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers raided a company in Newark, outside of New York City, they detained "undocumented residents as well as citizens," according to a statement from Mr. Baraka, without a warrant."One of the detainees is a U.S. military veteran who suffered the indignity of having the legitimacy of his military documentation questioned," said Mr. Baraka.According to an ICE spokesman, officers "may encounter U.S. citizens while conducting fieldwork and may request identification to establish an individual’s identity as was the case during a targeted enforcement operation at a worksite today in Newark."The mayor called the raid unlawful. ICE was looking into the event, according to the spokeswoman. According to Mr. Baraka, the raid had infringed upon the rights guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution. "Newark will not stand by idly while people are being unlawfully terrorized," he stated. Neither ICE nor Mr. Baraka provided a name for the company that was raided. After Mr. Trump's immigration enforcement began, Mr. Baraka was among the first municipal authorities in the United States to comment on a particular operation. He was a strong opponent of Trump's immigration policy during his first term in office and signed an executive order in 2017 solidifying Newark's sanctuary status. About 44% of the predicted 11 million illegal or temporary immigrants in the United States in 2022 resided in states with "sanctuary" policies that restrict collaboration with federal immigration officials.Those in counties and sanctuary cities in states like New Mexico without statewide legislation are not included in that number. Nearly 500 undocumented migrants, some from New York and New Jersey, who were wanted for unresolved offenses in sanctuary cities were taken into custody by federal law enforcement and ICE officials, according to U.S. media reports. According to ICE authorities quoted in the publications, the arrests happened on Tuesday and Wednesday.
