ICE Raid Trenton Sparks Multi-Hour Standoff, Community Protest

ICE agents conducted a raid in the Chambersburg neighborhood of Trenton, New Jersey, attempting to detain a man without a judicial warrant, which led to a nearly five-hour standoff and strong community pushback. Trenton Mayor Reed Gusciora emphasized that local police did not assist ICE but instead maintained peace, adhering to the state's Immigrant Trust Directive that prohibits involvement in civil immigration enforcement. Community members, clergy, and local leaders protested the ICE operation, criticizing the lack of proper judicial protocol and the focus on detaining hard-working immigrants rather than violent criminals. U.S. Representative Bonnie Watson Coleman highlighted ICE agents' refusal to present a warrant or badge numbers and credited the community's efforts for preventing arrests during the incident. The event followed a large-scale ICE raid the previous day at a warehouse in Edison, New Jersey, where 29 individuals were taken into custody. The Trenton standoff underscored tensions around immigration enforcement in sanctuary communities and raised calls for ICE to target serious criminals instead of families striving for better lives.