US immigration agents conducted a raid at a Newark, New Jersey, worksite on Thursday, detaining undocumented migrants as well as American citizens. Newark Mayor Ras Baraka criticized the operation, claiming it involved the detention of a military veteran and violations of individual rights.

The raid took place in New Jersey's largest city, which has been previously commended by Mayor Baraka for its "sanctuary" policies aimed at protecting migrants. The operation aligns with President Donald Trump's renewed pledge to deport millions of undocumented immigrants.

Since taking office on Monday, Trump has signed several executive orders targeting illegal immigration. These include measures to enforce his crackdown and impose penalties on officials who resist cooperation with federal immigration authorities.

In a raid of a business establishment in Newark, outside New York City, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, agents failed to produce a warrant as they detained "undocumented residents as well as citizens," Baraka said in a statement.

"One of the detainees is a US military veteran who suffered the indignity of having the legitimacy of his military documentation questioned," Baraka said.

In a statement, an ICE spokesperson said that agents "may encounter US citizens while conducting field work and may request identification to establish an individual’s identity as was the case during a targeted enforcement operation at a worksite today in Newark."

he spokesperson said that ICE was investigating the incident.

Baraka said the raid had violated the citizens' rights under the US Constitution.

"Newark will not stand by idly while people are being unlawfully terrorised," he said.

Neither Baraka nor ICE identified the business raided by name.

White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt said on X that the Trump administration arrested 538 people on Thursday, describing all of them as "illegal immigrant criminals". She said they included members of a Venezuelan prison gang and people convicted of sex crimes.

Leavitt did not provide more details.

A range of studies by academics and think tanks have shown that immigrants do not commit crimes at a higher rate than native-born Americans. Other studies find that immigrants in the US illegally also do not commit crimes at a higher rate.

SANCTUARY CITIES: Newark Mayor Baraka Speaks Out Following Immigration Raid

Newark Mayor Ras Baraka is among the first US officials to address a specific immigration raid since the launch of President Trump’s intensified crackdown on undocumented immigrants.

In 2017, Baraka signed an executive order solidifying Newark's status as a sanctuary city, emphasizing its commitment to limiting cooperation with federal immigration authorities. Throughout Trump's first term, Baraka was a prominent critic of the administration's immigration policies.

As of 2022, approximately 44% of the estimated 11 million undocumented immigrants or those with temporary status in the US resided in states with sanctuary laws. These laws restrict collaboration with federal immigration enforcement. This percentage excludes individuals living in sanctuary cities and counties located in states without overarching sanctuary laws, such as New Mexico.

According to US media reports, federal law enforcement and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents arrested nearly 500 undocumented migrants with outstanding criminal charges in sanctuary cities. The arrests, which included individuals from New York and New Jersey, reportedly occurred on Tuesday and Wednesday, citing statements from ICE officials.