Princeton officials pledge support for Immigrant Trust Act but delay formal resolution after ICE detains local workers

Mayoral and council leaders issued a joint statement on July 28 saying they were "deeply troubled" after U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, detained 15 people on Harrison Street on the morning of July 24. The statement, read at the council meeting, said municipal staff had contacted consulates, employers and community members and that "we stand in solidarity with those affected and their families." The statement also repeated that local police would not participate in ICE operations and referenced the state attorney general's 2018 immigrant-trust directive.

Why it matters: Residents and immigrant-rights organizers told the council the arrests have produced fear and a drop in everyday activity — parents, workers and students said they no longer feel safe leaving home — and pressed the council to provide immediate legal, financial and communications support to impacted families. Dozens of speakers demanded the council pass and deliver a resolution supporting the Immigrant Trust Act (ITA), a state-level bill that backers say would codify data and cooperation limits between local agencies and federal immigration enforcement.

Details and council response: The town's reading said ICE "detained 15 individuals on Harrison Street as they traveled in a van on their way to work"…