Four ICE agents stormed into La Gran Via Bakery on 48th Street in Union City on Wednesday, forced a man to the ground, and hauled him into custody in under two minutes while customers watched in disbelief. The agents wore face masks, with one exception, and the arrest was captured on surveillance footage and by bystanders — another flashpoint in a wave of immigration enforcement that has rattled Hudson County's Hispanic community.
Seconds From Door to Ground
Surveillance video reviewed by ABC7 New York showed the man walking into the bakery, with ICE agents following him through the door just seconds later. According to the station, agents forced him to the ground before taking him into custody, and the entire encounter lasted less than two minutes. ICE told ABC7 the man was undocumented and from Honduras, but the agency gave no information about whether he had any criminal background.
After the detention, people outside the bakery followed the group, ABC7 reported. One woman asked for a phone number so she could contact the man’s wife. Nearby workers told the station they were afraid of being seen on camera.
A Neighborhood on Edge
An August 25 investigation by The New York Times described an ICE operation at El Oaxaqueño, a Mexican supermarket, that took place June 24. Witnesses and workers told the paper that people inside were detained, adding another account of enforcement activity in New Jersey.
Other recent arrests have unfolded in public view as well. In Harrison, video showed ICE agents surrounding a white SUV driven by Jhon Maykel Correa Sangucho and dragging him from the vehicle as his children screamed, a scene reported by ABC7 New York. In Jersey City Heights near the Hoboken border, officials said agents apprehended “several individuals” in a single morning operation, and a video described by Hudson County View showed one ICE agent chasing down a bicyclist at the 9th Street Light Rail Station and placing him in an unmarked vehicle, according to the outlet.
The Numbers Behind the Surge
The Union City arrest comes amid a reported increase in enforcement across New Jersey and New York. PIX11, citing government data, reported that New Jersey ICE arrests rose 147.6% from May to July, with more than 2,100 people arrested by immigration enforcement officers in July. Gothamist’s analysis put the New Jersey July total at 2,080, the highest monthly figure in at least four years, and reported that 72% of those arrested had no criminal record or pending charges. The two outlets’ July totals differ slightly, and the available reporting does not explain the gap.
How to Read the Monthly Totals
A counting caveat is important when interpreting enforcement figures: DHS’s Office of Homeland Security Statistics says its monthly tables count immigration events, so the same person may be counted more than once in a reporting period. That means event totals are not necessarily counts of unique people.
New York saw a similar climb, with ICE arrests and detentions rising from 754 in April to 1,355 in July, a 79.7% increase, according to PIX11. Gothamist's broader count found 919 people arrested in the New York City area in July alone, nearly double the April figure, with more than three-quarters having no criminal history. The outlet's wider analysis found ICE has made nearly 18,000 arrests in New Jersey during President Donald Trump's second term, with combined New York and New Jersey totals more than doubling the prior 18-month period under President Joe Biden. Gothamist also reported that more than 41% of those arrested across both states have since been deported, while another 22% chose to leave the country after being taken into custody.
No further details about the man detained at La Gran Via Bakery — including his identity or whether he had any criminal history — have been made public. ICE has not answered additional questions about the case beyond what it told ABC7 New York.
