
NJ mayor addresses hysteria, panic over recent ICE operations
⚫ Weekend reports sparked press conference
⚫ Mention of rights
⚫ What mayor has heard so far
PATERSON — "No one should be afraid to go to work. No child should be afraid to go to school. And no one should be afraid to even visit his or her doctor," Mayor André Sayegh said during his Monday press conference over recent ICE operations.
But the opposite is playing out in the state's third largest city.
Sayegh said a priest called him to say how parishioners have come to him crying in fear. He's also hearing reports of children skipping out on school.
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Sayegh, along with the New Jersey Alliance for Immigrant Justice and others, gathered Monday to dispel weekend rumors of ICE activity in the city and to educate people about how to respond if they run into immigration authorities.
"We will not stand in the way of proper investigation but individuals need to know their rights and the rule of law must be respected," Sayegh said.
What people should know
According to New Jersey Alliance for Immigrant Justice:
—You have rights regardless of your citizenship status, regardless of your immigration status
—"If ICE says 'show us your papers,' we say 'show us your warrant'"
—Without a judicial warrant, you can refuse entry
—You have a right to remain silent
—Always carry a Know Your Rights card or have access to it
—Document the situation (ICE activity)
—Check on neighbors, spread Know Your Rights knowledge
Recent reports
Sayegh received two reports of an ICE presence at a barbershop and pharmacy, according to Patch.
The mayor said Monday he's looking to his public safety director and Officer in Charge Patrick Murray to confirm what happened and to provide more details.
"Even prior to that, there were rumors running rampant about visits here in Paterson from ICE, so a lot of that has yet to be confirmed," he said.
Nationwide
NBC News reported that ICE counted 956 arrests across the country on Sunday. More than 2,600 have been arrested since Trump took office.
ICE has called other recent crackdowns around that nation, like in Chicago, "enhanced targeted operations" aimed to protect national security, according to a Sunday statement.
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