NEWARK, New Jersey (WABC) -- Mayor Ras Baraka is speaking out after he says three undocumented workers and others who are U.S. citizens were detained, fingerprinted and had their pictures taken and pictures of their ID taken in a seafood restaurant in Newark.
Three people were taken into custody during the raid inside Ocean Seafood Depot when officials said they were unable to provide documentation proving they had legal status.
Baraka said in a statement that agents "raided" the business without producing a warrant. In a press release, the mayor said one of the detainees was a veteran who suffered the indignity of having the legitimacy of his military documentation questioned.
On Friday, Baraka held a press conference and fired back at the Trump administration.
"The problem with this is none of these people were rapists, or murderers or criminals," Baraka said. "And we can disagree on politics, you can disagree with me on the role immigrants play in the economy of our community, you can disagree with me about the fact that most immigrants are not criminals, in fact, they are victims of violence in cities, we can disagree about whether you support mass deportation or not. But, what we must agree on is that the thing that separates this country from any other countries around the world is the constitution of the United States."
Despite initial reports that ICE agents were responsible for the raid, the federal law enforcement action was the result of a tip of unauthorized workers at a place of business. This differentiates it from ICE-initiated targeted enforcement that has been accelerated this week as part of a Trump administration process to detain and deport.
The Newark action was carried out by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the federal law enforcement agency within the Department of Homeland Security.
A law enforcement official was unable to elaborate on the nature of the tip, or whether it emanated from the current climate of heightened public awareness of undocumented workers.
HSI has not commented on their agents' involvement in the action.
The owner of the business said he was caught off guard as the federal agents asked for documentation for the workers.
"I feel that we have to be a country of law, but go after bad people, not working people," owner Luis Janota said. "These are people. These are family people. These are people who show up to work every day and have a responsibility."
Baraka called the raid "egregious" and said it goes against the Constitution.
"Walked in like it was their empire's own conquered land, they were heavily armed, there was no prior announcement, they were blocking entrances and exits, they were scrambling up delivery ramps, they were banging down bathroom doors to make sure no one was hiding inside," said Amy Torres with New Jersey Alliance for Immigrant Justice.
Mayor Baraka also shared that he's received hateful messages after speaking out. "Some people want us to arrest the store owner or say that these people are dangerous criminals. But none of them were. This kind of talk isn't what America is about," he said.
The mayor called on Governor Phil Murphy and other state leaders to help make sure this doesn't happen again. "We will protect our neighbors and family members. Newark will stand up for democracy," Mayor Baraka said.
ICE Newark said in a statement:
"U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement may encounter U.S. citizens while conducting field work and may request identification to establish an individual's identity as was the case during a targeted enforcement operation at a worksite today in Newark, New Jersey. This is an active investigation and, per ICE policy, we cannot discuss ongoing investigations."
Additionally, ICE also made arrests in New York, including an alleged MS-13 member on Wednesday.
In a post on X, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement said the agency made a total of 538 arrests Thursday.
----------
* Get Eyewitness News Delivered
* Download the abc7NY app for breaking news alerts
Have a breaking news tip or an idea for a story we should cover? Send it to Eyewitness News using the form below. If attaching a video or photo, terms of use apply.