ICE arrests two men in Princeton

By Sumedh Natu
Domestic Affairs
ICE arrests two men in Princeton

Resistencia en Acción volunteer rapid responders patrol Princeton on Jan. 16, 2026, after ICE arrested two men the day before. RESISTENCIA EN ACCIÓN/Facebook

PRINCETON, N.J., Feb. 13 (ZFJ) — Two residents of Princeton were detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers on Jan. 15, 2026. According to Resistencia en Acción—a local migrant justice activist group—one of the detainees was arrested on his way to work, and the other was arrested as he was heading home after taking his children to school.

“My cousin was heading to work. He was no criminal. We’d always meet for coffee in the morning but he never came; he was taken in a van. He came here to find better opportunities, and now he’s been taken,” said a relative of one of the detained individuals, according to Resistencia en Acción.

Princeton municipal authorities reported the presence of ICE officers in the town at around 8:30 a.m. ICE did not notify local authorities in advance of their presence. No Princeton police officers participated in immigration enforcement activity.

The presence of the officers was initially reported by a crossing guard at Birch Avenue and John Street—both places less than a mile away from Princeton High School and Princeton Middle School.

The ICE raid sparked panic among Princeton residents, especially parents. According to Planet Princeton, a local news website, “As word spread in the community about the raid, rumors followed. Panicked parents checked in on their children and texted images of their passports to them.”

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) did not respond to an email inquiry by The Zombie Fridge Journal.

EDITOR’S NOTE: To support ZFJ coverage of federal immigration enforcement operations in New Jersey or Maryland, send any relevant materials—such as photos, videos, and social media posts—to editor-in-chief Alvin Wu via email, social media DM, or phone call/text message.

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