Phone video shot February 1 by Jersey City Council Member Jake Ephros confronting ICE officer in light rail station elevator.
Hudson County officials and activists say they won’t stand idly by after ICE agents were spotted conducting brazen daytime confrontations in Jersey City and Hoboken.
Cellphone video, shot by Jersey City Council Member Jake Ephros on Sunday morning, shows officers riding an elevator at the 9th Street Light Rail Station. One agent, his face covered by a mask, tells Ephros that he's "wasting his time" asking questions.
When Ephros asks whether they have a warrant, an agent replies: "We don't need a warrant, bro."
Outside, the video shows an agent speaking to a man who says, "I'm from here."
A second encounter at the rail station was captured by another witness. Officers also were reported to have appeared elsewhere in Hudson, including Central Avenue and South Street in the Jersey City Heights neighborhood, and in neighboring Hoboken.
The confrontations came days after Jersey City and Hudson County issued executive orders barring federal immigration authorities from staging enforcement actions on local government property. Jersey City Mayor James Solomon called the videos "disturbing."
"They show what appears to be people on their way to work being detained," Solomon said. "That makes us less safe."
In response to the enforcement, nearly 200 people in Hoboken packed an emergency nighttime meeting to learn their rights if ICE is operating in their community.
"Information is power," Hoboken Mayor Emily Jabbour told the crowd, "and credible and valid information that came to us by witnesses is how this meeting came together." At least three people were detained, she said.
Ephros said the incidents raised serious concerns about ICE targets.
"Clearly, they are not looking for someone with a criminal record," Ephros said. "They are trying to detain and deport people they deem to be noncitizens."
A U.S. Department of Homeland Security memo, obtained by the Associated Press, updated enforcement guidance for agents. Officers may make warrantless arrests for civil immigration violations if they believe an individual is undocumented and "likely to escape" before a warrant can be obtained. Civil rights advocates, though, say the policy raises serious questions about transparency, accountability and constitutional protections.
Following the agents' appearances, immigration advocates say they are increasing outreach. Signs in several neighborhoods direct people to ICE hotlines and legal resources. One group, Spirit of Liberation Jersey City, has volunteers trained to respond to ICE activity.
ICE didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment by NJ Spotlight News.
This story was originally published by NJ Spotlight News through the NJ News Commons.
