Nine Chilean nationals were arrested by Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Newark in Princeton and Jersey City on Sept. 19, according to a Sept. 29 press release. The full scope of the enforcement action within the Princeton town is unclear.
ICE alleges these individuals have connections with transnational crime organizations that conduct high-value property crimes across the United States, which they call South American Theft Groups (SATGs). The press release stated that those taken into custody had initially entered the U.S. legally but overstayed their visas. ICE asserted that multiple individuals have previous arrests for larceny, theft, and other crimes.
“We are committed to stopping transient criminal aliens who exploit our immigration system to harm American businesses and communities,” Ruben Perez, the acting field office director of Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Newark, said in the press release.
“By working closely with our law enforcement partners, ICE is dismantling South American Theft Groups and ensuring those who break our laws face justice,” Perez continued.
The full scope of the enforcement action within the Princeton town is unclear. The arrests were made in coordination with Joint Organized Crime Task Force partners from FBI Newark. According to Chief of Police at Princeton Police Department (PPD), Matthew Solovay, PPD was not involved in the arrests.
“The news report that came out didn’t give details about whether the raid was in Jersey City or in Princeton,” Paulo Almiron, community organizer and media coordinator for migrant justice group Resistencia en Acción, told The Daily Princetonian.
“In Princeton, we did not see any activity regarding [the] nine people detained who are from Chile,” Almiron added.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation said earlier this year that investigating crimes associated with SATGs has become a priority.
According to Almiron, the number of raids across New Jersey has “increased significantly” since President Trump’s inauguration, with most sightings of ICE in the state in the past month coming from Trenton, according to Almiron.
While the identities of the individuals have yet to be released due to the ongoing investigation, the ICE press release identified characteristics of many of the detained individuals. One is accused of having an outstanding burglary warrant in Pennsylvania, while another person had previous arrests in New Jersey and Florida.
This is the third known incident of ICE activity in Princeton conducted by ICE this year. Over the summer, ICE detained 16 people in two raids.
Mayor Mark Freda and an ICE spokesperson did not respond to multiple requests for comment in time for publication.
Luke Grippo is an assistant News editor for the ‘Prince.’ He is from South Jersey and usually covers University and town politics, on a national, regional, and local scale. He can be reached at lg5452@princeton.edu.
Sena Chang is a senior News writer for the ‘Prince.’ She typically covers campus and community activism, the state of higher education, and alumni news.
Please send any corrections to corrections[at]dailyprincetonian.com.
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