On January 15th, around 8:30 in the morning, Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents detained a 40 year old man in Princeton. He was detained while taking his 9 year old son to school around Birch Road. That same day, another man was publicly detained by ICE. However, no further information has been revealed about the second incident. Princeton residents are infuriated with the detentions. Senator Andrew Zwicker’s statement on the ICE Princeton Raid, mentioned how he believed that this arrest was extremely unjust, saying “There are no words powerful enough to convey my outrage and sadness.” These sentiments are echoed by many people in the comments section, some saying “call your Congress representative to demand action” and others demanding action plans.
Princeton High School Principal, Cecilia Birge, also mentioned how her school was put in a shelter in place at 11:30 am. The school was not close to where the man was arrested, however, ICE activity was seen near the high school on Jefferson Road. Princeton High School Senior, Lily Ludewig told The Daily Princetonian “Every single entrance of the school was blocked, from the main entrance to the smallest basement door that no one uses — there were teachers in front of each entrance acting like guards.” The young woman also mentioned how her track team was allowed to have practice that day, but they had to stay in large groups close to the school.
The ICE raid in Princeton was not the first and likely won’t be the last. Local residents should be aware and alert as these incidents become more common.
