Lawmakers respond to ICE’s detention of documented individuals in Puerto Rico and a U.S. citizen military veteran in New Jersey without warrants
Source: Congressional Hispanic Caucus
WASHINGTON, DC — Today, Representatives Adriano Espaillat (NY-13), Chairman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC), and Pablo José Hernández (Resident Commissioner of Puerto Rico), a member of the House Homeland Security Committee, called on U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem and acting U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Director to address recent reported incidents of wrongful detention by ICE agents in Puerto Rico and New Jersey.
“We write to express our profound concern regarding recent operations carried out by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in New Jersey and Puerto Rico. Reports from media in both regions highlight reckless action by ICE Agents, which have caused considerable distress within communities. These actions have alarmingly sown fear among residents, disrupted businesses, and raised serious concerns about the behavior of federal agencies and the preservation of due process rights,” stated the Members in the letter.
Over the weekend, multiple media outlets reported that ICE agents detained at least three individuals of Dominican origin in the Barrio Obrero area of Santurce, in San Juan, Puerto Rico. According to media reports, eyewitnesses observed agents questioning individuals in neighborhoods with a significant Dominican population to verify their immigration status. In a separate incident on January 23, ICE agents raided a small business in Newark, N.J., and detained a Puerto Rican military veteran without a warrant even when showing a valid veterans identification card to authorities.
Espaillat and Hernández emphasized that these actions not only raise concerns of fundamental rights but also sow fear and distrust in communities. The lawmakers are demanding answers regarding the legal and procedural justification for these operations and are urging DHS to investigate the conduct of its agents.
Click HERE to read their letter.
About the Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC)
The Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC) is 43 members strong. The CHC serves as a forum for the Hispanic Members of Congress to coalesce around a collective legislative agenda. The Caucus is dedicated to voicing and advancing, through the legislative process, issues affecting Hispanics in the United States, Puerto Rico, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. For more information, please visit chc.house.gov.
