In a true twist of irony, an illegal alien was recently nabbed by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) just outside of a Mexican restaurant in Jersey City, New Jersey, U.S. Rep. Rob Menendez (D-NJ) took to social media platform X to write about the operation that led to the man’s arrest, accusing ICE of targeting neighbors and claiming that the agency has failed to make communities safer.
“Following yesterday’s ICE arrest in Jersey City, my team and I have been in contact with the family and pressing authorities for answers. Let’s be clear: ICE’s relentless targeting of our neighbors does nothing to make our communities safer,” Menendez wrote in his post. “I urge every resident to know your rights when interacting with ICE.”
“If you need immediate assistance or help with an immigration issue, contact our office at http://menendez.house.gov. We are here to serve you, to stand with our neighbors, and to protect our communities as we will continue fighting to abolish ICE,” the post continued. Details concerning the man’s arrest are still sparse as of this writing.
According to a report from the Hudson County View, an Instagram account known as Spirit of Liberation Jersey City posted a story that said ICE agents were located outside of Tacos Victoria at around 4:40 p.m. on a Saturday afternoon. Some pictures and video of the arrest were captured, showing a man sporting a pink t-shirt and black track pants with a green stripe being yanked out of a white car by several ICE agents.
He was then placed in the back of a black vehicle, which drove away from the scene once he was secured. “If you see ICE in your neighborhood, call the DIRE Hotline 1-888-347-3767. And follow @sol.jerseycity on Instagram to learn more on how you can get involved,” a representative of Spirit of Liberation Jersey City said in a statement to HCV Sunday evening.
A report from Hoodline noted that in May 2026, Menendez, along with U.S. Sen. Andy Kim, conducted an inspection at the now infamous ICE detention center located in the state, Delaney Hall, following complaints about inadequate health care for pregnant detainees made to the congressman’s office. That same month, Menendez helped introduce a bill called the No Delay for Immigrant Oversight Act.
The goal of the legislation is to guarantee congressional access to federal immigration detention centers, which is a push that started after an incident where lawmakers were allegedly blocked by armed ICE agents stationed at Delaney Hall from gaining access to the facility. In April, he voted with House Democrats to pass Department of Homeland Security funding that excluded funds for ICE and Border Patrol.
"*" indicates required fields
In March, New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill signed the Law Enforcement Officer Protection Act, which requires police officers to reveal facial identities and provide sufficient identification before they are allowed to arrest or detain a person, a measure meant to fight back against ICE agents who have used masks to keep their identity secret and prevent retaliatory attacks on them for making arrests.