Community activists in South Orange and Maplewood are stepping up efforts to educate the public and advocate for immigrants’ rights, following an apparent uptick in Immigration and Customs Enforcement activity in the towns and a ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court allowing roving patrols to target people for deportation based on their race or language.
On September 8, local residents photographed and took video of federal agents stopping a car and taking two men into custody on Prospect Street in Maplewood. On Sept. 9, South Orange Mayor Sheena Collum reported that a person was taken from South Orange by ICE. Also on Sept. 9, Maplewood Democratic Committee Chair and former Vice Mayor Ian Grodman reported that a person was taken by ICE from Maplewood on Laurel Street near Springfield Avenue, at the Union border.
A man was also taken by ICE on Park Place in South Orange on June 6. That man’s name and where and why he was taken are still unknown.
Following the Sept. 8 incident, the local progressive grassroots organization SOMA Action sent a press release to Village Green strongly condemning “this violation of our neighbors’ rights to safety and liberty.”
The release provided these resources on responding to ICE activity:
● Put the DIRE Hotline, (888) 347-3767, in your phone and call if you see ICE.
● SOMA Action and SOMA Justice are collaborating with established organizations to incorporate more volunteers into the rapid response network. If you would like to join that signal chat, please fill out the form here to be screened and admitted to the Signal chat. (You will need to download the Signal app.)
● Join SOMA Action and SOMA Justice September 25th at 7:30 pm for a training and strategy session on rapid response. RSVP here.
● Join SOMA Action and Indivisible’s ongoing Signs of Solidarity campaign. We are canvassing local businesses to ask them to 1) designate an “Employee Only” area (ICE is not allowed to enter private spaces without a warrant) and 2) post a “No ICE” sign in their window showing their solidarity. Our next canvass will be in South Orange on Friday, September 26th at 4pm. RSVP here.
● Volunteer to help families of detainees at Delaney Hall. Sat., Sept 13, 6:30 am. SOMA Action’s Immigration Committee, alongside a growing network of advocates, helps provide essential mutual aid services, information, and supplies as they wait to see family members. Please reach out to [email protected] to get connected.
The release also called on the Maplewood Township Committee to provide clarity on the Township’s role in “protecting our residents from ICE,” specifically:
1. What are your protocols when ICE operates in Maplewood?
2. What steps will you take to prevent future incidents?
3. When will you hold a public town hall meeting to discuss these incidents with affected community members and establish ongoing protocols for transparent communication about immigration enforcement activities?
In a statement shared with media following the Sept. 8 incident, Maplewood Mayor Nancy Adams strongly condemned ICE’s actions and stressed that Maplewood police are not working with federal agents.
“The Township of Maplewood reaffirms our commitment to the fair and equal treatment of all residents, regardless of their immigration status, as we did when we adopted Resolution 3-17, on January 3, 2017 that decrees that the Police Department shall adhere to the directives and guidelines of the New Jersey Attorney General with respect to the manner in which local law enforcement agencies interact with federal immigration authorities,” wrote Adams.
Read more here: Maplewood & South Orange Mayors Respond to ICE Action in Maplewood
In a previous statement, Adams explained, “The Township is following our own Resolution from January of 2017 before Trump’s first term and the AG’s Directive which means our police will not aid or assist ICE actions in our town. MPD will also not interfere with ICE, but it’s good to call the nonemergency number 973-762-1234 to alert the police when someone sees ICE in Maplewood.”
Following the Sept. 9 incident, South Orange Mayor Sheena Collum posted a statement condemning ICE’s actions: “The Trump administration and ICE’s subsequent actions are terrorizing communities, as you have all witnessed. Their tactics are nothing but thuggery that thrives on threatening the vulnerable. Please keep looking out for one another.”
