By Donald Gilpin

The presence of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in Princeton last Wednesday, July 10, including the arrest of one resident, has caused high levels of concern among residents and government officials at the local and state levels.

Whether it was a “targeted operation,” as designated by ICE officials, or a “raid,” as described by many locals, agents in ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Newark division arrived early on the morning of July 10 in unmarked cars.

“I am horrified to learn of the ICE raids carried out in Princeton today, by agents who did not identify themselves, drove into communities, and stopped Hispanic/Latinx residents seemingly at random to interrogate them and demand documentation,” said U.S. Congresswoman Bonnie Watson Coleman in a July 10 statement. “This kind of conduct has absolutely no place in our community or our country.”

Watson Coleman followed up in a July 16 letter to ICE, requesting information on a number of issues concerning the July 10 Princeton operation. “In addition to the conduct of the agents themselves, I have serious questions as to the process that preceded this operation, and the transparency of the federal agencies involved,” she wrote.

The Newark ICE office stated that ERO came to Princeton “to arrest two unlawfully present noncitizens.” They detained the first, a 29-year-old Guatemalan national who had been charged earlier this year with aggravated assault and robbery in Princeton, and he remains in ICE custody.

The second subject for arrest, a 27-year-old Guatemalan national, who had been arrested for assault by automobile and convicted of DUI in Lawrence Township in 2023, was identified by ERO agents, but was able to escape because of interference by people trying to stop the arrest, according to ERO reports.

The Princeton mayor and Council responded rapidly on July 10, stating, “This morning’s ICE activities in Princeton have left our community deeply troubled. As the mayor and Council of Princeton, we believe that such federal actions, conducted without prior explanation, starkly contradict our core values of respect and dignity for all.”

The statement went on to emphasize that ICE agents operate under federal jurisdiction and that local police were not involved and by law are not allowed to interfere with ICE activities. Princeton officials, however, have since reached out to Watson Coleman, U.S. Sen. Cory Booker, Gov. Phil Murphy’s office, and other state officials to address the issue.

Mayor Mark Freda in a July 16 phone call discussed some of the follow-up measures that he and other local officials were pursuing in order to further investigate what actually happened in the July 10 ICE operation and what might be expected in the future.

Freda has talked with three different ICE representatives: the head of the Newark field office, his deputy, and the person in charge of the team that came to Princeton on July 10.

Freda questioned some of ICE’s tactics in interrogating people and he questioned their pursuit of the second subject. “What I find concerning is that the warrant was a local municipal warrant, not a high-level warrant, not like a federal warrant,” Freda said. “I said, ‘Why is a federal agency worried about carrying out local warrants? That’s the job of the local police. We should be worried about that.’”

During the conversation with ICE Freda noted that he also asked, “‘When will you be back and what is the trigger for you to look at somebody?’ They said that 99 percent of the time if you are undocumented but you have no criminal record and don’t commit a crime, they are not interested in you. They are not coming to look for you. They don’t care. Only if you’re undocumented or if you have been deported before and come back or if you get involved in some criminal activity that’s when they come looking.”

Freda went on to highlight his message to the community that he reiterated later in the morning of July 16 at a press conference in Hinds Plaza: “We have no involvement with ICE. Our police department does not help them. None of our departments help them.”

Freda noted extensive human services and health department programs to help recent immigrants, whether they are documented or undocumented. “They can totally trust us and come to us for help,” he said. “Some services we can provide and other services we can direct them to.”

Freda went on to note that while there was some like-mindedness in the community’s objections to ICE’s presence in town and the methods they employed, a rift has emerged between some groups and local government organizations like the police and human services. “Some groups that have involved themselves in this matter have been falsely telling the community not to trust the town,” he said. “That serves no real purpose because this deprives a community that’s already challenged of services that they should be taking advantage of. There’s no basis for that.”

Freda’s comments were echoed by Councilwoman Leticia Fraga, who serves as police commissioner. She expressed outrage at what took place on July 10, but noted an attitude of “us against them” within the town, pitting local officials and organizations against residents, with people being told not to trust the police and not to rely on the Department of Human Services.

“Some of the messaging is doing a disservice to the community that we’re trying to help,” said Fraga. “I’m happy to see our community partners informing our residents about their rights and what they can do to protect themselves,“ but she went on to warn about being confrontational with members of ICE. “People might be putting themselves at risk of being arrested for impeding ICE activity even when they are not the target.”

Councilman Leighton Newlin, speaking to the assembled crowd of about 70 people at the July 16 press conference in Hinds Plaza, issued a plea for unity and trust within the Princeton community. “This community has built an infrastructure of human care and human concern around social services,” he said. “When have you ever had a problem of disrespect from a Princeton Police officer?”

Newlin urged his listeners to work together to help solve the problems highlighted by the July 10 ICE operation. “Don’t make us the enemy. We love this town. We were elected to represent you. We love you and we want to protect you. We want no harm to come to you. We are not a part of the federal government. ICE is their own entity.”

He continued, “We are going to search hard and find all the answers to your questions because we too want to know the answers. Don’t listen to anybody who tells you to work against us. We need for you to work with us so we can solve problems together.”

As far as the possibility of future ICE activity in Princeton, Freda stated that police and government officials were likely to act differently in the future than they had in the past. “We’re probably not going to just stay away to avoid confusion and show that we’re not helping ICE,” he said. “We want to be there. We want to monitor what they‘re doing and make sure they’re not doing things they shouldn’t be doing. We have to change our mindset about how we deal with ICE.”

The municipality notes that the Princeton Human Services Department is available to any resident seeking information about their rights. Their office hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and they can be contacted at (609) 688-2055 or by email at humanservices@princetonnj.gov.