NEW JERSEY - "ICE out, ICE out, ICE out, ICE out!" Outrage is growing in New Jersey after federal agents detained 20 workers in an ICE raid last week.
Now, immigration advocates are demanding answers, calling for transparency, oversight and an end to what they say are aggressive enforcement tactics.
On Wednesday, community members and advocates gathered in front of the Reformed Church of Highland Park in protest of the incident.
The backstory:
On July 8, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), detained 20 undocumented workers in a raid at Alba Wine and Spirits warehouse in New Jersey. Around 30 CBP agents stormed the site, demanding IDs, zip-tying those without papers and loading them into vans.
Carlos Castañeda, an organizer with immigrant-rights group Movimiento Cosecha, speaks at the presser.
Advocates demand transparency
Activists claim federal agents showed up in masks with K-9 dogs in 30 cars and vans, blocking off workers' access from families and lawyers. According to the demonstrators, workers fled and hid, desperate to not be separated from their families.
"Our government came on July 8th, primarily as white, masked, body-armored, dog-sniffing terror creators," said Reverend Seth Kaper-Dale, who was at the scene of the raid.
Big picture view:
This as NJ Senator Cory Booker has been pushing the VISIBLE Act that would enforce identification of ICE agents and strengthen transparency over President Donald Trump's deportation plans.
Cory Booker's new bill would force ICE agents to identify themselves
Two Democratic U.S. Senators have proposed legislation that would require immigration enforcement officers to display clearly visible identification during public enforcement operations.
Agents ignored documents, acted on ‘racism and hate’
Amanda Dominguez, a community organizer with New Labor, who was called to the scene, says families brought packets of paperwork including birth certificates, work permits and copies of identification to prove the legal status of their family members to ICE agents.
"They were not letting families through, they were not looking at the paperwork, they were working based off of racism and hate and they were ignoring anything that was produced to them at that moment in time," said Dominguez.
Pictures of families affected by the ICE raid at Alba Wine and Spirits in NJ.
The demonstrators claim agents separated workers by zip-tying those to take into custody and placing armbands on others.
"Agents demanded IDs and when people refused or hesitated, they were physically searched," said Carlos Castañeda, an organizer with immigrant-rights group Movimiento Cosecha. "Those deemed to have legal status were marked like animals with a red wristband."
What's next:
Supporters are now scrambling to find immigration attorneys for those taken into custody. They are working to raise funds to cover legal fees, phone access, commissary and other basic necessities ahead of Monday, July 21, when many of the 20 individuals detained are scheduled for their master hearings before Immigration Court.
What officials say in response
What they're saying:
After the raid, the Department of Homeland Security defended the arrests, saying the operation targeted "illegal employment networks that undermine American workers, destabilize labor markets and expose critical infrastructure to exploitation."
"There will be no safe spaces for industries who harbor violent criminals or purposely try to undermine law enforcement’s efforts," Tricia McLaughlin, assistant secretary for public affairs at DHS, said. "Worksite enforcement remains a cornerstone of our efforts to safeguard public safety, national security and economic stability."
DHS officials continue to emphasize that anyone in the country illegally is subject to deportation and are encouraged to self-deport.
What they're saying:
Reverend Kaper-Dale called on New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy to show both "heart and spine," urging a more compassionate response to the detentions.
In a press conference, Murphy of New Jersey addressed the situation, stating that he wouldn't stand in the way of ICE.
"We don’t stand in the way of federal authorities doing their work, frankly, and we cooperate with them all the time. But beyond that, I have no insight into the Edison situation yesterday," Murphy stated.
Reverend Seth Kaper-Dale speaks at the NJ ICE raid rally.
Activists also called out Alba Wine and Spirits, saying they had not provided any support for employees after the raid.
"We have spoken to many employees who have not heard one word of concern voiced to them after this happened, despite a decade plus of work in that facility," said Kaper-Dale.
Alba Wine and Spirits
What they're saying:
In a statement obtained by FOX 5 NY, Alba Wines said, "Our hearts go out to them and their families during this incredibly difficult time, these are hardworking people, fundamental for the functioning of our country’s infrastructure. We take pride in our compliance for our direct Alba Employees and we also maintain contractual agreements with our temporary staffing agencies that require them to comply with all applicable laws, including verifying employment eligibility for assigned workers, we are at the moment fully cooperating with the authorities on this matter."
Community members sing ‘This Little Light of Mine’ in solidarity with their immigrant neighbors.
The Source: This report is based on information from a New Jersey rally in response to the raid and DHS.