Newark, NJ – U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has expanded enforcement operations throughout New Jersey this month, with agents conducting arrests in several counties as the Trump administration continues its nationwide immigration enforcement campaign.
Residents have reported increased ICE activity in communities including Lakewood, Toms River, Stafford Township, Paterson, Passaic County, Bergen County and other parts of the state. This week, busloads of immigration detainees were also seen arriving at the Delaney Hall detention facility in Newark, one of the federal government’s primary immigration detention centers in New Jersey.
New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill and Attorney General Jennifer Davenport have remained defiant against Trump’s sweeps in New Jersey, supported by U.S. Senators Cory Booker and Andy Kim.
Arrests target noncitizens with criminal histories
ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Newark has publicized several recent arrests involving noncitizens with prior criminal convictions.
Among those announced was Marvin Miguel Perez, a Guatemalan national arrested July 6. According to ICE, Perez has convictions in Mercer County Superior Court for unlawful possession of a weapon and theft.
On July 3, agents arrested Jose Miguel Aguilar Martinez, a Guatemalan national whom ICE said unlawfully reentered the United States after a prior removal in 2009. ICE said his criminal history includes two convictions for promoting prostitution in Elizabeth.
Another July 1 arrest involved Jorge Vega-Meza, a Mexican national previously removed from the United States. ICE said Vega-Meza had prior convictions related to possession with intent to distribute cocaine and fentanyl, conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, and interstate travel in aid of racketeering.
ICE also announced the arrest of Fidel Rodriguez Lemus, a Cuban national who had been ordered removed in 2022. According to the agency, Rodriguez Lemus previously received a 180-month federal prison sentence following a conviction for production of child pornography and aiding and abetting in the Eastern District of Virginia.
ICE also took Kaitlyn Tracey, an illegal alien from Canada, into custody after she assaulted a teenage girl on the Point Pleasant Boardwalk. The girl was targeted allegedly for wearing pro-Trump and ICE clothing.
Enforcement activity increases statewide
The enforcement activity comes as New Jersey remains at the center of a legal and political dispute over immigration policy.
The Trump administration has challenged several New Jersey laws governing cooperation between state and federal immigration authorities, while state officials have defended those policies. Local governments have also begun weighing in. This week, Stafford Township adopted a resolution urging the repeal of several recently enacted state immigration laws, citing concerns over officer safety and federal-state cooperation following the June assault of an ICE agent during an enforcement operation in the township.
ICE has not released the total number of enforcement actions conducted in New Jersey this month. The agency has stated that its operations prioritize individuals who pose threats to public safety, national security, or who have final orders of removal, although enforcement may also include others found to be in the country unlawfully during targeted operations.
The increased activity is part of a broader federal immigration enforcement effort underway in multiple states as the administration continues to expand arrests and detention capacity nationwide.
