New Jersey

200 Jewish Activists Protest NJ ICE Facility, 36 Arrested: Report

What to Know

  • 36 Jewish protesters were arrested Sunday after a group of 200 blockaded the entrances to an ICE detention center in Elizabeth, NJ.
  • The 36 protesters were charged with obstruction of a public passage.
  • The group protested the horrifying conditions in ICE facilities and demanded the defunding of ICE and CBP.

36 Jewish protesters were arrested Sunday after a group of 200 blockaded the entrances to an ICE detention center in Elizabeth, New Jersey, the city told NJ.com.

The 36 protesters were charged with obstruction of a public passage after blocking the road to the detention center. The group protested the disturbing conditions in border facilities and demanded the defunding of ICE and CBP, closure of border camps and permanent protection for all undocumented immigrants.

“I’m a Jewish Latina. The military camps where my people are being held today are concentration camps; just like the camps my people were held in 75 years ago were concentration camps,” said protester Tae Phoenix in a statement. “That’s why I’m here. That’s why we’re here.”

The protest was part of a larger group called Never Again Action, a Jewish organization that is coordinating more protests across the country over the next week. The group has put up a GoFundMe to cover legal fees.

“I have to do whatever is in my power to disrupt ICE, to close these camps, to provide permanent protection, and to ensure that Never Again means Never Again,” Rebecca Oliver, who was arrested during the protest, said in a statement.

Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez showed support for the group over Twitter. “Direct actions of profound solidarity, just like these, hold enormous power to change our country,” Ocasio-Cortez said on Twitter. “Thank you [Never Again], for your courage, compassion, and selflessness in the pursuit of justice.”

Elizabeth Police could not immediately be reached for comment.

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