A video of a federal immigration arrest outside Harrison’s post office shows relatives trying to stay close to a handcuffed man as agents take him away. But the footage, reviewed by NJ.com, does not establish the man’s identity or why he was arrested.
The 1-minute-28-second clip was recorded outside the post office on Harrison Avenue. It shows a woman holding a baby and a young boy holding onto the man as agents try to place him in a black SUV; another child cries nearby. A teenage boy is grabbed and thrown to the ground by an agent who arrives in a second vehicle. Later, an agent directs people to step back, and the crowd disperses. Relatives are left on the sidewalk as the man is taken away.
People in the video plead with the children to move away and urge agents to account for the baby and child. The footage does not make clear whether those approaching the arrest were trying to intervene or calm the situation. NJ.com reported that the man’s identity had not been released; ICE did not respond to the outlet’s questions, and Harrison’s mayor’s office and city council did not return its requests for comment.
Other New Jersey encounters provide context, not proof
The Harrison arrest is one example of enforcement in a region where reported totals have grown. Government data reviewed by Gothamist showed nearly 18,000 ICE arrests in New Jersey and more than 19,500 in New York. Those statewide figures do not establish why the man in Harrison was targeted or how his case will proceed.
The incidents have also involved different settings and people. In June, agents detained 18 people, including six workers, at El Oaxaqueño, a family-owned restaurant and market in Lakewood, the New Jersey Monitor reported. Separately, Hudson County View reported that five ICE agents detained a woman near Barrow and Wayne streets in downtown Jersey City on April 10. These are distinct encounters, not evidence that the circumstances or outcomes in Harrison were the same.
A legal dispute over masks
Some agents in the Harrison video wear masks. The New Jersey Monitor reported that the federal government is challenging a state law signed in March that restricts law enforcement personnel from wearing face coverings in public. The ongoing legal dispute, and the video alone, do not establish whether the agents in Harrison violated the law.
