ICE raids family-owned restaurant in South Jersey, arrests owners

HADDON TWP., NJ - Community support is pouring in for the Emanet Family in South Jersey after Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers raided their business, Jersey Kebab, in Haddon Township on Tuesday morning.

What we know:

ICE officers placed husband and wife, Celal and Emine Emanet, in handcuffs and said they were being taken in to update their case file. The couple applied for green card status and have been waiting for a decision since 2016. Their request was denied, and the family has been in limbo after submitting an appeal.

Celal tells FOX 29 ICE released him with a GPS ankle monitor but detained his wife Emine who’s now being held at the Elizabeth Detention Center. As of Wednesday evening, Celal still had not heard from his wife. 

"When it happened yesterday, I was so sad," said Celal. "She is the main person in our family. Without her we cannot handle this family. What happened. I pay taxes, they can check out my file. I am a very open person, and we have no criminal record."

Their oldest son Muhammed Emanet also helps run Jersey Kebab and said he wishes instead of his mother, it was him who was detained at the detention center.

"It was kind of like our biggest fear. What might’ve happened to us and my father had these fears for years and when I woke up yesterday morning and I saw the ICE agents standing outside, I said here it is the nightmare is happening and we are about to go through what we’ve been waiting to go through," said Muhammed.

The family opened Jersey Kebab in 2021 and have always offered food at no cost to those who could not afford it.

Many customers stopped by to show their support and express their outrage.

"They’re just great people. It’s great food. It’s a travesty what happened to them. Really, I’m disgusted with it and so are a lot of the other neighbors," said customer Nick Sammartino.

Lori Leonard started a GoFundMe campaign for the Emanet family and as of Wednesday evening it has raised over $140,000 and continues to grow.

While the family is calling Leonard a friend after she set up the fundraiser, Leonard said she didn’t know the family personally and has gotten food from the restaurant before. She felt compelled to support the family during this challenging time.

Muhammed recounted the moment ICE officers came to arrest his parents in the video below.

"When I woke yesterday morning and saw the ICE agents standing outside the restaurant, I said here it is, the nightmare is happening," said Muhammed. 

What they're saying:

Democratic U.S. Representative Donald Norcross said in a statement:

"By all accounts, it appears as though Celal and Emine Emanet are upstanding members of our community who came to the United States legally and took every measure necessary to ensure they can remain living here with legal status. 

"Celal and Emine's case underscores the need to fix our broken immigration system as they have been awaiting a decision on their application for legal permanent residency for almost a decade. As the Trump Administration is blindly cutting critical government functions, we are severely lacking immigration judges so this family and many others can get access to their due process.  

"The idea that a family can legally come to the United States, run a business, and give back to their local community is the American Dream, and we must create an immigration system that stays true to our American values. My office is in direct contact with the family, and we are reaching out to the appropriate federal agencies."

Haddon Township Mayor Randall Teague told FOX 29:

"Jersey Kebab, a beloved restaurant in our Haddon Township community, has faced a heartbreaking situation that has deeply affected the family and our community. As frequent customers, my wife and I have cherished the restaurant’s great food, reasonable prices, and always friendly service.

Beyond its culinary offerings, Jersey Kabob has been a pillar of our community, embodying kindness, generosity, and a commitment to the well-being of our residents. The family’s contributions, from participating in Toys for Tots drives to organizing community food drives, have left a lasting impact on our community.

We deeply empathize with the family’s pain and are committed to doing everything we can to support them during this challenging time. We immediately reached out to Congressman Norcross’s office and are diligently following their guidance. Our hearts are filled with sorrow for the family, and pray for a speedy resolution that allows them to become a part of our community once again."  

Commissioner Ryan Linhart of Haddon Township provided this statement to FOX 29:

"The ICE raid on Jersey Kebab was a harmful and performative display of intimidation aimed at an immigrant-owned family business and it is difficult to witness such an injustice, to tear parents away from their children, especially when those parents are actively seeking citizenship. Detaining individuals in good standing, with pending citizenship applications, is a tragic miscarriage of justice that cannot be ignored. 

The federal agencies responsible for authorizing these detentions should be ashamed of the fear and trauma they are inflicting on families in New Jersey and across the country—particularly in cases where immigrants are contributing positively to society while pursuing legal citizenship. The owners of Jersey Kebab are valued members of our Haddon Township community, we stand with them."