What to Know
- An NJ Transit crew member was suspended after allegedly claiming ICE agents were on board a train conducting a sweep
- The alleged false announcement took place during Monday morning's commute aboard a Bayhead line train Monday morning
- NJ Transit and ICE officials deny a sweep took place
A NJ Transit employee was suspended after allegedly claiming U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents were on board a train conducting a sweep, according to the public transportation agency.
The alleged false announcement was made Monday during the morning commute aboard a Bayhead train headed to New York Penn Station.
According to an email provided to NBC 4 by Rory Fish, a rider who was present during the announcement, a crew member on the train allegedly made an announcement that ICE agents and those from the Department of Homeland Security were on board around 6:45 a.m. The same person allegedly made a second announcement about agents being on board “looking for illegals and other criminals" around 7:40 a.m., the email says.
Fish did not see any agents.
NJ Transit “has taken swift action by immediately suspending, without pay, the crew member who made the alleged train announcement pending the outcome of a full investigation” Nancy Snyder, a spokeswoman for NJ Transit, said in a statement.
Emilio Dabul, a spokesman for ICE, also denied there was a sweep on board the train.
Local
“ICE was not involved with this. We do targeted enforcement, not sweeps,” Dabul said.
U.S. Customs and Border Patrol spokesman Anthony Bucci also said in a statement that there were no CBP agents on board the train.
