Princeton said the arrests occurred on Wiggins Street. Authorities said they detained two people.
PRINCETON -- Federal immigration authorities arrested two men in Princeton recently, prompting a response from the town, which actively aids the immigrant population with information and advice.
The town, in a statement about the incident, said the arrests occurred on Wiggins Street at about 5 a.m. and agents appeared to have been waiting for someone.
"We recognize that these are stressful times for our community and our residents," the statement said.
The town's Human Services department and the Latin American Legal Defense and Education Fund (LALDEF) have since been in touch with the other residents on Wiggins Street "to offer assistance and support as needed," the statement said.
The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) confirmed Tuesday that the agency conducted a routine, targeted law enforcement operation in Princeton last Wednesday morning, Feb. 3.
Agents were looking for a specific individual. "It wasn't large scale or out of the ordinary," ICE spokesman Shawn Neudauer said.
ICE officers arrested two individuals for immigration violations. One had a drunken driving conviction and the other was a recent border entrant, he said. Both are considered ICE enforcement priorities from a Nov. 2014 memo issued by Jeh Johnson, Secretary of Homeland Security, Neudauer said.
The memo outlined new national policies for the apprehension, detention and removal of undocumented immigrants.
Councilwoman Heather Howard, though, said the town has been preparing more for an anticipated wave of immigration arrests planned for this year, announced at the end of 2015, as reported by the Washington Post.
Just after the new year, Princeton posted a letter and several documents on the town's website as a guide for local residents on what to do in case of an ICE raid.
Howard said since the recent arrests, town officials have been further working with the local immigration population, "Now that's it's come to Princeton, and what could happen to people in Princeton and their families."
"These are really unfortunate," Howard said of ICE arrests. "They cause fear and panic in the community, and they work to undermine the community's effort to improve law enforcement relations."
One of the main thrusts of the efforts of the past few days, Howard said, is to make sure the immigrant population knows the agents were federal, and not local Princeton police officers.
Princeton police spokesman Lt. Jonathan Bucchere reiterated Tuesday that the department is rarely notified of federal immigration operations, and if they are, the notifications are general in nature and the department does not take part in the arrests.
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As part of the outreach, a Spanish-speaking police officer and a community advocate went to the Spanish Mass at St. Paul's Catholic church Sunday evening to explain what was known at the time and reinforce the information available to the immigration population, Howard said.
The website has publications with titles like: "Know Your Right 2016" and "Protect You and Your Family During Immigration Raids." They are in English and Spanish.
In the statement issued after the recent arrests, Princeton urges similar tips. For example:
"Do not carry your home country passport or your consular card. This is best to kept away as it can raise flags if that document is provided to an ICE agent as form of identification," the statement says.
And anyone stopped by a federal agent and asked for identification is advised to "Please show your Mercer County ID." Instructions are given on how one can attain one at the Princeton Public Library.
"In the event of a raid, please contact the Human Services office. Difficult as it is, we suggest remaining calm," the statement says.
Kevin Shea may be reached at kshea@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter@kevintshea. Find The Times of Trenton on Facebook.