MORRISTOWN, New Jersey (WABC) — A community rally is planned for Tuesday night in Morristown after a weekend ICE raid led to several people being taken into custody.
The raid happened Jan. 11 at 10:15 a.m. at a laundromat at Speedwell Avenue and Henry Street — the heart of the Hispanic community.
Two women said they spoke to a relative of one person who was taken.
“And he came Sunday morning to do his laundry and his cousin told me he was taken.. he was just cleaning his clothes and he was taken, a lot of people were taken,” one of the women said.
They say that included a father of a 6-year-old girl and the child was left alone on the street until other adults stepped in.
“So my sister said ‘do you need help,’ and then she said ‘my dad was taken,’ her dad was taken by Immigration and left the little girl by herself,” the woman said. “She was stranded, they took the dad and left the little girl, that was horrible for her to see that.”
In the middle of the target zone sits St. Margaret of Scotland Roman Catholic Church, where that Sunday the priests were warned of the raid happening at that moment.
They did what they could to protect those in their congregation.
“The majority of our parishioners have papers, we have followed the legal steps, we have come to this country in the legal way…we are afraid to be picked up and taken away and being mistreated,” said Fr. Duberney Villamizar. “That’s what is going on in our minds, and not only our minds, but this is what is going on in this community.”
Judy Ashworth has lived in Morristown for decades.
“This whole ICE business is so cruel, so sadistic and so scary what is happening, it’s terrifying, I think it’s terrifying, they’re masked up and they have guns and they are not afraid to use them,” Ashworth said. “It’s horrifying and really is reminiscent of what happened in Nazi Germany.”
Morristown Mayor Tim Dougherty issued a statement, expressing his concern about the impact of the raid on his residents:
“Morristown is a community built by generations of immigrants, and our diversity is one of our greatest strengths. Actions like this create fear and uncertainty for families who contribute every day to our schools, businesses, and neighborhoods,” Dougherty said. “I want our immigrant residents to know that the Town of Morristown stands with you and will continue to advocate for dignity, fairness, and respect for all who call this community home.”
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