This story has been updated on May 10, 2026, with a statement from the Department of Homeland Security. Scroll down for more information.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement — better known as ICE — stopped and arrested several men on Springfield Avenue on Tuesday, May 5, shortly after 8 a.m. (In a May 9 statement, DHS reported that four arrests were made, asserting that the four men where in the U.S. illegally and therefore detained.)
The incident was recorded by a local resident who asked that we identify her as Kris D.
An agent told Kris that at least one of the men was being arrested on a warrant for a 1326 violation, which refers to 8 U.S.C. § 1326, a federal law making it a felony for “a non-citizen to re-enter, attempt to re-enter, or be found in the U.S. without authorization after having been previously deported, removed, or denied admission.”
Kris D. also questioned the agents about their masks (several agents covered their faces, two did not). On March 25, New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill signed legislation banning federal immigration agents and local police from wearing masks to hide their identities while on duty and interacting with the public. On April 29, the U.S. Department of Justice announced that it is suing New Jersey over the law, arguing that if it improperly seeks to regulate the actions of federal officials.
In the video, one of the agents engages with Kris, saying, “Can I answer any questions for you.”
“Yes why did you pull them over?” asks Kris.
“So the driver is subject to a 1326 USC reentry of removed aliens,” replies the agent. “He was removed from the United States. He reentered illegally. That’s why we have probable cause to make the arrest.”
“How’d you know that?” she asked.
“That’s our policy. I’m not at liberty to say,” said the agent, who then directed her to contact the public information officer at ICE.gov.
The agent also said that ICE is allowed to wear masks because “we’re a federal investigation.”
“You’re in the wrong town for this,” replied Kris at one point.
Later the agent asked Kris to step back. She responds, “I don’t want to be an innocent victim killed.”
“You won’t be unless you do something stupid,” the agent responds.
Kris and the agent then engage in a back and forth over whether or not he threatened her.
Village Green has reached out to ICE Media in Newark for more information and with questions, as well as to the Maplewood Police and Maplewood Mayor Vic De Luca for response.
Village Green last reached out to ICE Media requesting information on reports of ICE and/or border patrol activity in Maplewood on Feb. 12 on Springfield Avenue and on Feb. 17 on Newark Way at South Amboy Plumbing and on Springfield Avenue. ICE Media was unable to provide information on May 5. ICE Media did provide information about two men who were arrested on Prospect Street in Maplewood last September.
There were several other reported arrests by ICE and/or CBP in 2025 in South Orange and Maplewood.
Update: On May 9, 2026, ICE Media in Newark forwarded the following statement attributed to a DHS (Dept. of Homeland Security) spokesperson:
“On May 5, ICE Newark conducted targeted enforcement actions in Maplewood, New Jersey, resulting in the arrests of four illegal aliens from Costa Rica for violations of U.S. immigration law.
- Milder Delgado Chaves, who has been removed from the United States twice, now faces reinstatement of a prior removal order.
- Richard Obed Montoya Delgado was admitted to the United States under a tourist visa on April 21, 2021, with authorization to remain until Oct. 20 that year. He remained in the U.S. illegally for over four years.
- Enrique Madrigal Morales was admitted with a tourist visa Oct. 4, 2004, with authorization to remain until April 23, 2005. He has been illegally present in the U.S. for more than 20 years.
- Fabian Delgado-Hernandez illegally entered the U.S. in May 2024 under the Biden administration’s open border policies, which allowed him to be released with a notice to appear before an immigration judge with a future hearing set in 2029.
All four illegal aliens are now in ICE custody pending removal proceedings before the Executive Office for Immigration Review or facing imminent removal from the United States.
Being in detention is a choice. We encourage all illegal aliens to take control of their departure with the CBP Home App. The United States is offering illegal aliens $2,600 and a free flight to self-deport now. We encourage every person here illegally to take advantage of this offer and reserve the chance to come back to the U.S. the right legal way to live the American dream. If not, you will be arrested and deported without a chance to return.”
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This story was first published on May 5, 2026, and updated on May 10, 2026.
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