1. United States
2. N.J.
3. Letter

On the morning of April 15 in Asbury Park, Michelle Mendoza, a U.S. citizen, was driving her daughter to school when she received a call from her husband, Alejandro Rios, a Mexican-national who has lived and worked in NJ for over a decade. Rios was distressed because he believed immigration agents were following his work vehicle. Mendoza rushed to the scene, where she found her husband and two of his colleagues already handcuffed by federal agents. As she approached, Mendoza was restrained, forced to the ground, and handcuffed before being taken into custody. The encounter, captured on bystander video, shows Mendoza being subdued while her two young children remained in a nearby car. Some of the agents involved were wearing masks, despite a recent New Jersey law prohibiting federal officers from concealing their identities during such operations.   Mendoza was taken to the Delaney Hall detention center in Newark and held for about eight hours on suspicion of assault before being released without charges. Her husband and the two other men remain in ICE custody. Mendoza’s arrest drew widespread attention in Asbury Park, sparking protests and calls from state officials for an investigation.   Beyond highlighting the incredible cruelty of federal immigration enforcement and dangers it poses to immigrants and U.S. citizens alike, this incident raises serious questions for NJ leadership: What more can be done to protect New Jerseyans from ICE? And how can we ensure that such protective measures (like the mask ban) are enforced?