Pallone Convenes Local Immigration Leaders as NJ Ranks Eighth in Nation for Arrests by Trump’s ICE

RED BANK, N.J. - New Jersey now ranks eighth in the nation for immigration arrests, with arrests increasing 159 percent since President Donald Trump's return to office, according to the Deportation Data Project. Against that backdrop, Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-06) today convened the Deputy Mayor of Red Bank, Kate Triggiano, and immigrant rights organizations to discuss the impact of expanded ICE enforcement under the Trump administration, deplorable conditions inside Newark's Delaney Hall ICE detention facility, and the congressional oversight and legislative actions he is pursuing to rein in ICE.

The discussion focused on the recent increase in immigration enforcement across New Jersey, deplorable conditions inside Delaney Hall, the Know Your Rights resources available to immigrants and their families, and the billions of dollars Republicans in Congress recently approved to supercharge Trump's ICE operations. Congressman Pallone also stressed the need to reform our immigration system that provides a pathway to citizenship.

"The dramatic increase in immigration arrests of hardworking people under President Trump is tearing apart families and communities across New Jersey. Every American deserves to know their rights, and Congress must hold this administration accountable," Pallone said. "My visits to Delaney Hall have uncovered serious concerns about how people are being treated and whether basic human standards are being met. Republicans should not be giving President Trump's ICE your tax dollars. I will continue fighting for an immigration system that upholds due process, keeps families together and treats everyone with dignity while providing a pathway to citizenship."

The roundtable included Deputy Mayor of Red Bank, Kate Triggiano, and representatives from the New Jersey Alliance for Immigrant Justice, Make the Road New Jersey, the ACLU of New Jersey, the National Day Laborer Organizing Network, CASA Freehold, Cosecha, American Friends Services Committee, Pax Christi, La Casa de Don Pedro, Ironbound Community Corporation, and New Labor.

PHOTOS OF THE ROUNDTABLE MAY BE DOWNLOADED HERE.

"As ICE continues to brutalize our communities, New Jersey must take every available action to hold the Trump administration accountable," said Ami Kachalia, Senior Policy Strategist for the ACLU of New Jersey. "We're grateful for Rep. Pallone's leadership in ensuring our state does all it can to protect all people from the Trump administration's abuses of power."

"In the Ironbound, I watch children go to school each morning terrified they'll return to an empty house. Mothers memorize escape routes instead of helping with homework. This is what happens when we let fear replace humanity. We must create pathways to citizenship that honor the most basic truth: families belong together. When you rip a parent from their child, you don't just break one family you shatter an entire community's soul," said Hazel Applewhite, Ironbound Community Corporation.

"New Labor recognizes the profound impact that ongoing immigration enforcement policies have on working-class families across the United States. ICE has made our communities and workplaces less safe, separating families, undermining workers' rights, and creating fear that prevents people from reporting abuse, wage theft, and unsafe working conditions. We recognize ICE as a threat to worker safety, dignity, and collective power. New Labor is committed to exploring and implementing strategies that empower immigrant workers, build resilient communities, and ensure every worker can exercise their rights without fear of detention or retaliation. We recognize that achieving these goals requires addressing the systems that perpetuate fear and exploitation. New Labor believes that abolishing ICE is an essential step toward creating communities where all workers can live, organize, and work with safety, dignity, and justice," said Amanda M. Domínguez, Community Organizer & Language Program Coordinator, New Labor.

"Immigrant families across New Jersey are living under a level of fear this state has never seen, and that fear is eroding their trust in the schools, hospitals, and public safety they depend on. It is the product of a the detention and deportation regime that stress-tests every constitutional protection we have," said Dante Apaéstegui, Federal Policy and Advocacy Strategist with New Jersey Alliance for Immigrant Justice. "Warrantless raids, force against protesters and lawmakers, inhumane detention conditions, pressure to commandeer our state and local police-New Jersey has become the proving ground. We are grateful to Congressman Pallone for demanding solutions that protect our communities and hold this administration to account."

"We thank Congressman Pallone for convening this roundtable discussion on the state of immigration. One in four New Jerseyans is an immigrant. The Trump administration sees our diversity as an opportunity to surveil, detain and deport our communities to accomplish it's racist anti-immigrant agenda," said Viri Martinez, Legislative & Political Action Manager with Make the Road New Jersey. "That is why we will continue to fight for state and federal policies that protect us, not disappear us."

"At Casa Freehold, we believe that open dialogue is crucial for fostering understanding and collaboration within our community. This round table serves as an invaluable opportunity to engage with diverse voices, share experiences, and collectively address the challenges facing immigrants today. Together, we can build a more inclusive and supportive environment for all," said Dolly Hernandez, Executive Director, Casa Freehold.

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