Overview
- Federal officials confirmed the Sunday detentions near Iglesia Cristiana Dios De Amor but said agents did not raid or target the church.
- DHS said agents had trailed the suspects for more than a mile and identified them as Emilio Ruiz-Esquivel of El Salvador, who has a final removal order, and Oscar Leonel Telong Gonzalez of Guatemala, who entered the U.S. illegally.
- Residents recorded the arrests on 19th Street, and parish leaders said the men have lived in the U.S. for about a decade and help lead youth Bible study.
- The two men are reportedly being held at Delaney Hall in Newark, according to local reports.
- Rep. Robert Menendez Jr. condemned the tactics as an infringement of rights, and Gov. Mikie Sherrill last week signed an order barring ICE from state property and launched a portal to document agent activity.