‘Thuggery’ — South Orange mayor speaks out on ICE arrests

🚨 South Orange Mayor says ICE is 'terrorizing communities'
🚨 Mayor Sheena Collum says ICE agents resort to 'thuggery'
🚨 ICE also operating in neighboring town

South Orange Mayor Sheena Collum says immigration agents are terrorizing her community.

The mayor took to social media to denounce President Donald Trump's administration and ICE agents for taking an individual into custody on Tuesday.

Collum, the former running mate for Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop's failed bid for governor, claimed she had spoken to the woman detained by federal agents but provided no details.

The mayor says local residents in South Orange quickly reported the ICE activity.

"It was through the swift actions of residents sharing what they knew that allowed me to identify a family member and speak with her," Collum wrote on her personal Facebook page, "So we could try to get answers as quickly as possible to the family."

Collum then condemned the actions of immigration agents as "nothing but thuggery that thrives on threatening the vulnerable" and urged resident to "please keep looking out for one another."

ICE actions in neighboring town

The mayor of Maplewood, Nancy Adams, says ICE agents were also conducting operations in her town.

Adams claims immigration agents arrested two people in Maplewood by agents driving unmarked vehicles.

"Our police were not notified, nor do we cooperate with ICE," Adams said in a statement, "I will be demanding accountability from state and federal leaders."

MaplewoodGreen.com reported two men were arrested before noon on Monday between Courter and Oakview avenues, but ICE officials have not confirmed any details.

Immigration enforcement efforts have been stepped up in New Jersey and other states under the direction of President Donald Trump.

On Tuesday, the president claimed Democrats are standing in the way of fighting crime.

Questions about who ICE is targeting

Trump's border 'czar' Tom Homan has said the administration is targeting "the worst of the worst" immigrants in the U.S., individuals here illegally and with criminal histories.

However, at least some of the individuals detained in New Jersey do not appear to have a criminal history or prior convictions. Details on detainments, arrests and criminal histories have been hard to come by.

President Trump has vowed to deport "millions and millions" of individuals who entered the U.S. illegally, putting tremendous pressure on ICE to conduct mass raids.

In August 29 people were arrested during the raid of an Edison warehouse.

The stepped-up enforcement action has drawn sharp criticism from local Democratic mayors including Maplewood's Nancy Adams.

"This is not who we are,” Adams said. “Our town stands for dignity, safety, and belonging — not intimidation."

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