ICE warehouse raid: Immigration activists protest after 46 taken into custody in Avenel, New Jersey
Immigration activists in New Jersey are calling on state lawmakers to protect immigrants after 46 workers were swept up in an ICE raid in Avenel.
Protesters rallied on Thursday morning outside of Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin's office in Woodbridge in response to the raid.
It comes two weeks after federal agents raided a warehouse and made dozens of arrests.
The protesters say even people with legal work permits to be in the country were detained.
Activists are calling for passage of the Immigrant Trust Act to bar state and local police from helping ICE conduct raids.
"This is not about law enforcement, this is about control and intimidation, they didn't raid corporate boardrooms, they raided warehouses, targeting the very people who keep New Jersey running," one activist said.
So far there is no response from Coughlin.
Officials with Homeland Security say they stand behind the arrests and said the 46 people arrested were in the U.S. illegally.
----------
* 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.
