A failed federal immigration enforcement operation escalated into a prolonged standoff in the city’s Chambersburg district Thursday morning, drawing significant community protest and criticism from local officials who cited a lack of judicial authorization for the action.
Personnel from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrived on Bayard Street shortly after 7 a.m. in a fleet of unmarked vehicles.
The agents hoped to detain someone they alleged was involved in a hit-and-run
The operation quickly stalled when agents failed to present a judicial warrant.
The subject of their attention retreated into a residence, prompting federal agents to cordon off the area. For nearly five hours, the situation remained at an impasse.
During this time, a crowd of local residents, community organizers, and elected officials gathered behind police tape.
Trenton Mayor Reed Gusciora was present at the scene and explicitly stated that city police were not participating in the enforcement action.
“Trenton Police are here just strictly to keep the peace in the neighborhood,” Gusciora told reporters. “We’re not here to assist ICE. Shame on ICE for not having the warrant to begin with.”
The gathering evolved into an emotional demonstration, with participants chanting and holding signs.
Ana Puello, a long-time neighborhood resident, noted the diverse immigrant population of the area. “This is a sanctuary community,” she said.
Advocacy groups, including Resistencia En Accion NJ, mobilized a rapid response team after receiving calls for help.
The organization’s executive director, Ana Paola Pazmino, asserted that the initial attempt was to detain three men as they were entering a vehicle to go to work. She claimed one individual was apprehended, while two others evaded capture, with at least one retreating into the home.
“ICE agents are outside,” Pazmino said during the event. “They’re roaming the streets. They have about seven unmarked cars. They don’t have warrants.” She also alleged that agents made “degrading” remarks to bystanders.
Pastor Erich Kussman of St. Bartholomew Lutheran Church, who said he knows the family inside the home, identified the man sought by ICE as a day laborer with a wife and five young children. “There’s a whole family inside,” Kussman said.
The agents, identified by vests marked “POLICE U.S. BORDER PATROL” and “POLICE HSI,” departed the vicinity at approximately 11:45 a.m. without taking anyone from the residence into custody.
“Evidently, ICE was not able to effectuate a warrant, and so they left the scene,” Gusciora concluded. “It just showed from the beginning that they did not have a legitimate purpose for being there.”
U.S. Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman condemned the agents’ methods.
“To come and to be masked, to not identify yourself, to not show your badge, that’s something that you see in other countries. You don’t see that in the United States of America. It’s very un-American,” the Democratic Congresswoman said.
The Trenton Police Department confirmed its role was limited to maintaining public safety and stated it was adhering to the New Jersey Attorney General’s Immigrant Trust Directive, which limits local law enforcement cooperation with federal immigration authorities.
ICE acknowledged receipt of a request for comment but did not provide further details regarding the operation or the allegations made by community members.
New Jersey has the highest proportion of undocumented workers in the nation, at 22%, but economists say the state would lose about $79.3 billion annually and its gross domestic product would decline by about 8.9% if undocumented immigrants were deported.
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