ICE Raid in Newark Sparks Outrage Over Detention of Puerto Rican Veteran

NEWARK, N.J. — Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents raided a seafood wholesaler and restaurant in Newark on Jan. 23, arresting three people, including a Puerto Rican warehouse manager who is a U.S. military veteran. The incident has sparked widespread outrage and raised concerns about racial profiling and constitutional violations.

According to Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, one of the detainees was a U.S. military veteran who had his military documentation questioned by ICE agents. Baraka called the raid an “egregious act” that violated the Fourth Amendment, which protects against unreasonable search and seizure. “Newark will not stand by idly while people are being unlawfully terrorized,” he said.

New Jersey Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman also condemned the raid, describing it as “unconstitutional” and part of “the reality of Trump’s reign of terror.” The detained veteran, who is Puerto Rican and thus a U.S. citizen, was reportedly targeted despite presenting a valid veteran’s identification card.

Luis Janota, owner of Ocean Food Depot, where the raid occurred, told PIX11 news that ICE agents took three people without asking for documentation from other employees, including American, Portuguese, and white workers. “They were specifically going after certain kinds of people — not every kind,” Janota said.

The raid has fueled fear and anxiety in Puerto Rican communities across the U.S. Unverified reports of similar incidents, such as the detention of a Puerto Rican family in Milwaukee, have further heightened tensions. In Milwaukee, a man claimed his sister, her mother-in-law, and a child were detained by ICE after speaking Spanish in a store. ICE later apologized, but the incident remains unconfirmed.

In Philadelphia, owners of a Puerto Rican restaurant reported that ICE agents visited their establishment without a warrant, allegedly targeting them because of the restaurant’s cultural identity. Philadelphia is home to the second-largest Puerto Rican community in the U.S.

In Puerto Rico, recent ICE raids in San Juan‘s Barrio Obrero neighborhood have also drawn criticism. Dominican migrants, both documented and undocumented, have expressed fear of being targeted. One Haitian immigrant was detained for two days despite having legal status, highlighting concerns about wrongful detentions and racial profiling.

In response to these incidents, the Congressional Hispanic Caucus has called on DHS Secretary Kristi Noem to address the reckless actions of ICE agents in New Jersey and Puerto Rico. “These actions have sown fear among residents, disrupted businesses, and raised serious concerns about the behavior of federal agencies,” the caucus stated in a letter.

The incidents underscore the ongoing challenges faced by Puerto Ricans, who have been U.S. citizens since 1917 but often experience second-class treatment. The raids have reignited debates about immigration enforcement, racial profiling, and the rights of U.S. citizens in Puerto Rico and beyond.