Turkish couple detained amid Trump’s crackdown on immigration
NEW YORK
A Turkish couple awaiting Green Card approval in the U.S. have been detained by immigration and customs officials in an armed raid on their home and business in New Jersey.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers, armed with long rifles, stormed the couple Cemal Emanet and Emine Emanet’s home and their restaurant, sealing off the business and taking both into custody on Feb. 25.
Describing the morning of the raid, Cemal Emanet recalled how armed officers surrounded their home. He noted that officials took them to the detention center only to “make them suffer," suspecting they were reported by someone.
The man was released the following day with an electronic ankle monitor, but his wife remains in detention. "We were given no explanation," he said, calling the treatment "a direct result of [U.S. President Donald] Trump’s arbitrary enforcement policies."
Cemal Emanet, who holds a master’s degree and is pursuing a Ph.D., had applied for a Green Card nine years ago citing his role at a religious institution. However, his application has been neither approved nor denied since then.
Before Trump took office, his lawyer reassured him that only undocumented immigrants with criminal records would be targeted in the scope of such immigration policies.
The local community responded with outrage in the wake of the incident, gathering in front of the couple’s shuttered restaurant to show solidarity. They condemned Trump’s strict immigration policies, leaving messages like “We stand with you,” and “You are not alone,” on the restaurant’s windows.
Since returning to office, Trump has intensified immigration enforcement. After his inauguration, he revoked the CBP One application, which facilitated legal immigration. His administration also authorized officials to arrest undocumented immigrants in and around sensitive locations like churches, hospitals and schools.
The administration also granted extensive power to many federal agencies to increase deportation practices.
