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ICE Activity in West New York Amid New Executive Order

WEST NEW YORK, NJ – Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) agents were reportedly observed conducting targeted enforcement operations on Harrison Street in West New York early this morning. Witness accounts describe federal agents apprehending a Hispanic male at approximately 8 a.m., handcuffing him, and placing him into a van without asking any questions.
According to the witness, who spoke anonymously, “It looked like they knew who he was—they must’ve had a picture or his address. They just pulled up, grabbed him, and left.” The witness believes agents were targeting individuals with pre-existing information.
This incident follows a widely reported ICE raid in Newark earlier this week, during which agents detained a U.S. military veteran of Puerto Rican descent1. Newark Mayor Ras Baraka denounced the operation, calling it an “egregious act” that violated the Fourth Amendment. Mayor Baraka and Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) have called for answers from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) regarding ICE’s practices and alleged profiling during the raid.
These actions come just days after President Donald Trump signed the “Protecting the American People Against Invasion” executive order on his first day in office. The order sets aggressive new immigration enforcement priorities, revoking several orders from the prior administration. It mandates the creation of Homeland Security Task Forces across all states and emphasizes expedited deportations, expanded detention facilities, and enhanced cooperation with state and local law enforcement.
The executive order also reinstates the Victims of Immigration Crime Engagement (VOICE) office to provide resources to victims of crimes allegedly committed by undocumented immigrants.
In West New York, the sighting of federal agents has already heightened tensions within the predominantly Hispanic community.
Mayor Albio Sires’s office has yet to release a statement regarding today’s incident.
Editor’s Note: After this article was published, ABC7 obtained exclusive footage of federal agents conducting a search in a building in West New York, NJ. You can view their coverage and footage here: ABC7NY Exclusive Footage.