Newark fish wholesaler
Ocean Seafood Depot was raided yesterday by U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement, allegedly without a warrant,
according to reports. Both undocumented workers and U.S. citizens were detained, the agency and the mayor’s office confirmed.
The raid comes following President Donald Trump’s promise to
crackdown on immigration and deport millions of undocumented immigrants.
The business in the Ironbound neighborhood comes from owners Luis and Bela Janota, who founded the seafood wholesaler in 1998, according to its website.
Luis Janota said in reports that 10 or 12 ICE agents visited “
after receiving complaints” and “were looking for documentation.” The federal raid surprised the owners, who
told ABC News that agents asked for documentation for three workers.
Janota told New York PIX11 that agents were searching for “a license or a passport,” according to
New York PIX11. “I thought, who walks around with a passport?” he said. When they couldn’t provide it, ICE took them into custody. It hasn’t been reported yet why ICE targeted the employees.
News outlets
have reported that both U.S. citizens and undocumented people were detained, as the Newark mayor’s office confirmed in a statement. “One of the detainees is a U.S. military veteran who suffered the indignity of having the legitimacy of his military documentation questioned,” said Newark mayor Ras J. Baraka, who is a Democrat.
Janota told PIX11 that it appeared ICE was going after “certain kinds of people — not every kind, because they did not ask me for documentation for my American workers, Portuguese workers, or white workers.” The military veteran asked for his documentation is Puerto Rican,
he told the news outlet.
“Newark will not stand by idly while people are being unlawfully terrorized,” Baraka said
in a statement. “This egregious act is in plain violation of the Fourth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution,” he wrote, “which guarantees ‘the right of the people be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures….’”
ICE confirmed the raid
in a statement. “U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement may encounter U.S. citizens while conducting field work 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, New Jersey.” They noted the raid is part of an active investigation and they “cannot discuss ongoing investigations.” Allegedly at least one detainee
received a court date to appear before a judge.
New Jersey members of Congress have publicly expressed outrage over the allegedly warrantless raid.
“We are deeply concerned about the news of an ICE raid in Newark today. Our offices have reached out to the Department of Homeland Security to demand answers,” said U.S. Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Andy Kim (D-NJ)
in a statement.
“Actions like this one sow fear in all of our communities — and our broken immigration system requires solutions, not fear tactics.”
