On February 13, Congressman Donald Norcross, Commissioner Director Louis Cappelli Jr., and Commissioner Jonathan Young released a joint statement addressing the recent U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operation in Lindenwold that took place on February 12.
Congressman Norcross expressed strong concern about the ICE activity, citing its impact on the local community. “I am outraged by reports coming out about the ICE operation in Lindenwold yesterday. Their tactics and lack of transparency have instilled fear in the community and have put children in harm’s way,” said Congressman Donald Norcross. “Schoolchildren are not criminals, and enforcement actions must reflect that. It is extremely concerning that 911 was called. No federal agency is above the law and any effort to undermine constitutional rights or mislead law enforcement erodes public trust. There must be real accountability. I am pushing for reforms, including body cameras for ICE agents, pursuing the impeachment of Secretary Kristi Noem, and rebuilding ICE so it operates transparently, lawfully, and with respect for civil rights. Let me be clear: our community will not be terrorized, and we will keep fighting to protect our neighborhoods.”
Commissioner Director Cappelli highlighted the response from local school officials during the incident. He stated: “The absolute chaos sowed by this ICE operation in Lindenwold yesterday morning was appalling,” Cappelli said. “At the moment we are short on facts and details about the intentions of ICE and do know at some point they called 911 for support. That said, the impact and fear that struck the children of our county was painful to watch and I can’t imagine the anxiety and trauma that came from this incident. We have a dialogue with our Congressman who is helping us get answers to what happened yesterday. I also want to applaud the work of the Superintendent of the Lindenwold Schools whose staff jumped into action to identify the whereabouts of the students and ensure their safety. Furthermore, as a community, segments of our population are being terrorized and scared to leave their homes. This is no way for any of us to live.”
Commissioner Jonathan Young emphasized concerns over how such operations affect residents’ sense of security: “As a former Lindenwold resident, I’m disgusted to watch the videos of children running in absolute terror along a busy county thoroughfare,” Young said. “This callous operation, in front of 44 young children, sent them scattering in different directions underscores the type of terror our residents are living under every day. No one wants criminals in their community, that said, under Trump, ICE has been inhumane in how it conducts its operations. We’ve seen that firsthand throughout other cities in the country and now it’s happening here. No one in our community deserves to hide in the shadows. And being locked away in your home doesn’t create a safer neighborhood. Moving forward, we will work with Congressman Norcross to figure out what happened on Gibbsboro-Clementon Road yesterday.”
Camden County serves more than 500,000 residents across 37 municipalities through various programs focused on education, workforce development, public services [source], as well as maintaining parks and libraries [source]. The county operates under a seven-member Board of Commissioners who oversee legislative duties [source].
The Board reiterated its commitment to working with federal representatives to address concerns raised by this incident while continuing efforts aimed at supporting public safety across Camden County’s communities [source].
