ICE Detains Ocean City Resident During Child Porn Raid, But Family Says He Wasn’t Involved
According to officials and immigrant advocacy groups, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detained a man during a federal raid in New Jersey, despite the fact that he was not the focus of the investigation.
The family is interviewed by El Pueblo Unido de Atlantic City.
As part of an ongoing investigation into child abuse, the Cape May County Prosecutor’s Office announced that on Tuesday, July 29, a search warrant was executed in the 800 block of Asbury Avenue in Ocean City (Cape May County).
According to prosecutor Jeffrey Sutherland, the warrant was issued in response to a cyber tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children that revealed the downloading and sharing of content related to child sexual assault.
The warrant was executed by a number of organizations, including Homeland Security Investigations (HSI-Atlantic City), the Ocean City Police Department, the Cape May County Prosecutor’s Office, and the Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force. The flat contained a number of electrical devices.
Prosecutor Sutherland later acknowledged in a statement to NJ Advance Media that a resident of the house who was “not the target of the search warrant was detained by ICE on an unrelated federal warrant.”
Regarding the person in custody, no criminal accusations have been brought. The person’s name has not been made public by authorities.
That same evening, El Pueblo Unido de Atlantic City a community organization serving immigrant families in South Jersey held a press conference with the man s relatives onFacebook Live.
The message said, “This stream is to inform and educate our community on what really happened.” Because each one of us could experience this.
According to the group, the individual in custody was not connected to the child exploitation case and had no criminal history.
According to the group, he was only detained on a civil immigration charge. He was not a targeted operative; rather, he was a victim of a raid.
Family members attacked media outlets and law enforcement during the webcast for what they said were attempts to criminalize the detainee, saying:
For the mere reason that they are [someone] seeking a better life, no one should be regarded like a criminal.
Community people were encouraged by El Pueblo Unido to learn more about the family’s treatment today and to speak with them directly. Additionally, the group publicized forthcoming Know Your Rights courses and provided a hotline for impacted residents.
