Edison Community Leaders Protest ICE Warehouse Raid and Deportations

ICE Raid at Alba Wines and Spirits

• 🎯 Immigration Enforcement officers, numbering 30, converged on a wine distribution warehouse in Edison, New Jersey, last week.
• ⚡ The raid resulted in the custody of over a dozen individuals, with 20 arrested and five already deported.
• ⚠️ Community leaders are calling this an "act of terror" against their community.

Witness Accounts of the Raid

• 🗣️ A witness described being separated into groups, with some receiving red wristbands indicating safety while others were zip-tied and taken away in vans.
• 🤕 One individual recounted being thrown to the floor and having their hands zip-tied, still bearing marks from the incident.

Employer and Advocate Response

• 🏢 Alba Wines and Spirits stated that the arrested individuals were temporary workers hired by third-party staffing agencies and that the company has contractual agreements requiring agencies to verify employment eligibility.
• 🤝 Advocates are providing financial and legal aid to the workers, who have a master immigration hearing scheduled.
• ⚖️ The operation involved agents from ICE, Homeland Security, and Customs and Border Patrol.

Community Impact

• 💔 Families are struggling to locate loved ones, with guards reportedly refusing to provide information about their whereabouts.
• 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 One family pictured has lived in the town for 16 years and worked at the warehouse for 12 years, highlighting the deep community ties impacted by the raid.