ICE raids hit NJ Transit, streets as mayors urge residents to record agents

🚨 ICE agents detained multiple people over the weekend in Jersey City, Hoboken and New Brunswick, including on NJ Transit light rail.

📱 Local mayors and lawmakers urged residents to record ICE activity, warning of random detentions and unmarked vehicles.

🔥 Video and eyewitness accounts fueled outrage, as Democrats accused ICE of profiling and lawlessness.

As New Jersey Democrats escalated their pushback against federal immigration enforcement, ICE agents were active over the weekend in at least three New Jersey cities, with multiple people detained, according to local officials and advocacy groups.

Jersey City mayor says people detained 'at random'

Jersey City Mayor James Solomon confirmed reports of ICE activity in the city, saying individuals were detained “at random on their way to work.”

Solomon urged residents to prepare in advance in case they or a loved one are detained, advising them to memorize emergency contact numbers and make childcare plans.

The Department of Homeland Security confirmed that ten people were arrested on Saturday including "multiple illegal aliens who commited felonies by illegally entering the U.S."

Jersey City poilice were notified about the operation, according to the Department of Homeland Security.

Hoboken detentions reported on NJ Transit light rail

In Hoboken, Mayor Emily Jabbour said “several” people were detained Sunday on an NJ Transit light rail train and platform at the Ninth Street station.

“Councilman Joe Quintero and I went directly to the area where we spoke to multiple witnesses who confirmed they saw unmarked vehicles and several individuals being apprehended from the light rail train and in the area of the station,” Jabbour said in a video statement.

Jabbour described Hoboken as a “fair and welcoming city” and said officials would continue sharing resources so residents feel safe.

'We don't need a warrant, bro'

In Jersey City, Solomon advised residents to have a plan ready in the event they are detained, including memorizing the phone numbers of emergency contacts and preparing a childcare plan.

Jersey City Councilman Jake Ephros recorded ICE agents at a light rail station and asked them questions as they rode an elevator to street level.  The partially masked agent refused to answer questions about what they were doing and pushed back when Ephros asked if he had a warrant.

"We don't need a warrant, bro. Stop getting that in your head," the agent said.

When asked if they were looking for anyone in particular, the agent didn't answer.  Ephros accused the agents of profiling citizens and captured video of an individual being taken away in an unmarked vehicle that had no license plates. Ephros' video included an image of three unmarked vehicles used in a raid.

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Lawmakers call for accountability as residents organize

U.S. Rep. Rob Menendez, D–N.J., called for Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to be impeached and for those responsible to be held accountable.

Assemblyman Ravi Bhalla, D-Hudson, urged residents to lawfully record ICE encounters, echoing guidance from Gov. Mikie Sherrill.

“Hoboken and Jersey City will not bend to ICE’s lawlessness,” Bhalla said. “Our communities are stronger and more resilient when we come together.”

The Department of Homeland Security said four people from Honduras, Ecuador, and Mexico were arrested Saturday in New Brunswick. Advocacy group New Labor told News 12 that six people were detained Saturday in New Brunswick near French and Handy streets, sharing videos that appear to show agents forcing detainees to the ground.

“Some had criminal history including larceny and felony illegal re-entry—a felony. All four illegal aliens will remain in ICE custody pending removal," Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs Tricia McLaughlin told New Jersey 101.5 in a statement. “Under President Trump and Secretary Noem, if you break the law, you will face the consequences. Criminal illegal aliens are not welcome in the U.S.”

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