U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has acknowledged using a warehouse in Roxbury, N.J., for the initial processing of arrestees on Tuesday, the 13th. Two weeks later, local council members and activists are objecting that Gov. Mikie Sherrill and the state attorney general have taken no further legal action. The next milestone is a status report due in court on Monday, Nov. 16.
According to a Gothamist report on Tuesday, the 27th, ICE acknowledged in an email to U.S. Rep. Analilia Mejia of New Jersey that it used the Roxbury warehouse site for the initial processing of arrestees. The acknowledgment concerns people arrested in Dover on two occasions, Friday, Sept. 4, and Tuesday, Sept. 8. Gothamist reported that, as of the 27th, two weeks after the acknowledgment, neither Gov. Sherrill nor Attorney General Jennifer Davenport had taken further legal action. Dover council member Sandra Wittner said the state's response "seems very lukewarm."
The Trump administration wants to convert the warehouse into an immigrant detention center with a capacity of 1,500 people. A federal judge has blocked the plan in a lawsuit brought by Gov. Mikie Sherrill. Sherrill and Davenport have said they would hold ICE accountable and take legal action if a violation of the court order is confirmed. In September, PROJECT NINJA, a North Jersey coalition opposing ICE, submitted photos, videos and detainee testimony to the attorney general's office. The group alleges that those arrested were taken to the warehouse, about 5 miles (about 8 kilometers) west of Dover.
In emailed statements, the two officials said the Trump administration had told them ICE would no longer take detainees to Roxbury. Michael Symons, a spokesperson for the attorney general's office, said the office continues to review related reports and will take "appropriate action" if a violation of the court order is confirmed. Gothamist noted, however, that neither statement explained why no further action has been taken over conduct that has already been acknowledged. ICE maintains that it never brought detainees inside the warehouse building, and the Department of Homeland Security said it could not comment because the litigation is ongoing. David Broderick, an attorney for PROJECT NINJA, countered that the court's order barring enforcement activity applies to the entire site, not just the building.
Wittner said ICE enforcement continued in Dover on the morning of Sept. 4, and that starting just after 8 a.m., messages poured into the local rapid response team's WhatsApp group chat saying acquaintances had been taken away. More than three-quarters of Dover's residents are Latino. She said she became deeply involved in the issue after seeing a post from a resident saying their father had been seized by ICE. Wittner also criticized the lack of proper enforcement of state laws, such as the ban on ICE agents wearing masks and the requirement that vehicles display license plates on both the front and back.
Birdie Green, co-founder of PROJECT NINJA, said she wants the attorney general's office to seek a contempt order against ICE. Wittner argued that the state should push harder for permission to inspect the site. According to Mejia's office, ICE has not responded to the congresswoman's request for a site visit. Broderick said he expects the attorney general to take further action by Monday, Nov. 16, the date by which the White House and the state must file a status report with the judge on their discussions. According to Gothamist, the issue is also a point of contention in the congressional race in this district. Incumbent Republican Rep. Tom Kean Jr. is facing Democratic candidate Rebecca Bennett in next week's midterm elections.