ICC Joins Community Leaders Join Congressman Pallone to Address ICE Enforcement & Harassment

On Tuesday, July 28, community leaders, immigrant rights advocates, and elected officials gathered at Red Bank Borough Hall for a roundtable discussion with Congressman Frank Pallone Jr. focused on the growing impact of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activity across New Jersey.

The conversation brought together leaders representing immigrant communities, legal and civil rights organizations, faith-based groups, labor organizations, and community-based nonprofits. Hazel Applewhite, CEO of the Ironbound Community Corporation, joined representatives from organizations including the NJ Alliance for Immigrant Justice, Make the Road NJ, CASA Freehold, Cosecha, American Friends Service Committee, Pax Christi, the ACLU of New Jersey, New Labor, and La Casa de Don Pedro, as well as Red Bank Deputy Mayor Kate Triggiano.

Congressman Pallone opened the discussion by highlighting concerns about expanded immigration enforcement under the Trump administration and its consequences for immigrant families and communities throughout New Jersey. Speakers shared firsthand perspectives on the fear and uncertainty created by increased ICE activity, as well as the broader impacts on families, workers, and community members.

A significant focus of the discussion was the conditions at Delaney Hall, the ICE detention facility in Newark. Community advocates have raised serious concerns about the treatment and conditions faced by individuals detained there. The roundtable provided an opportunity for advocates to bring these concerns directly to Congress and to discuss the need for greater transparency, accountability, and oversight of immigration detention facilities.

The conversation also focused on the role of congressional oversight and legislative action. Congressman Pallone discussed efforts to hold ICE accountable and pursue reforms to our nation’s immigration laws—reforms that protect due process, respect human dignity, and reflect the values of our communities.

Importantly, the roundtable was also an opportunity to connect families and community members with information they can use. Congressman Pallone and his team shared Know Your Rights resources designed to help individuals understand their rights and prepare for encounters with immigration enforcement.

For immigrant communities, knowing your rights is an important part of building safety and resilience. Community organizations play a critical role in ensuring that families have access to trusted information, resources, and support—especially during times of heightened enforcement and uncertainty.

The participation of so many local leaders reinforced an important message: immigrant rights are community rights. Protecting the dignity, safety, and due process of our immigrant neighbors requires continued advocacy, collaboration, and civic engagement.

As ICE enforcement continues to affect communities across New Jersey, conversations like this one provide an important space for community voices to be heard and for elected officials to better understand the realities facing immigrant families.

At Ironbound Community Corporation, we remain committed to standing with our immigrant neighbors and working alongside community partners to build a Newark where everyone can live, work, and raise their families with dignity and security.

Hazel Applewhite’s Comments at Congressman Pallone’s Immigration Roundtable

“In the Ironbound, I watch children go to school each morning terrified they’ll return to an empty house. Mothers memorize escape routes instead of helping with homework. This is what happens when we let fear replace humanity. We must create pathways to citizenship that honor the most basic truth: families belong together. When you rip a parent from their child, you don’t just break one family you shatter an entire community’s soul.”

— Hazel Applewhite, CEO, Ironbound Community Corporation