Dover residents report surge in immigration enforcement ahead of midterms

Dover, N.J., Councilwoman Sandra Wittner began receiving messages about immigration agents very early Wednesday morning. Neighbors in north New Jersey reported that a dozen or more officers were gathering outside a Walgreens. Throughout the day, the community witnessed a spike in activity from the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency.

Dover is not the only location experiencing this increase. Reports gathered by NPR and its member stations indicate that various cities and states across the country are seeing a notable rise in ICE activity in the weeks ahead of the midterms. Wendy Weiser of the Brennan Center for Justice at NYU Law School says the administration's tactics appear designed to try to intimidate voters.

Wittner describes the atmosphere in her district as one of apprehension and fear. She says residents were unsure if a major event was imminent and did not feel safe. She is not certain who was detained or where, a common difficulty for reporters and officials because the Department of Homeland Security no longer publicly shares timely information on its operations.

When asked about a recent surge, the agency responded that ICE agents uphold immigration laws in all 50 states, seven days a week, 24 hours a day. Despite this standard explanation, tips from rural Illinois, Oregon, Detroit, and California throughout October point to increased enforcement. An official in New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani's office, who was not authorized to speak publicly, confirmed that the city has noted a surge in activity.

A volunteer group member in New York, who asked not to be named due to fear of retaliation, says the group has witnessed an uptick since the summer. She describes seeing numerous large operations, which she calls cluster raids, where multiple agents move from one spot to the next. Her group documents these scenes, reminds detainees of their rights, and alerts neighbors. Troy Brynelson, a reporter for Oregon Public Broadcasting, notes a similar trend in Portland, particularly in commercial areas, calling it a noticeable uptick compared to the summer.

Juan Proaño of the League of United Latin American Citizens says he is concerned because the timing coincides with the midterm elections. He explains that the issue is not necessarily ICE at the polling station, but ICE at the perimeter. He argues that mass enforcement actions, even if away from the polls, can dissuade people from voting due to social media and news coverage.

Weiser says there is no indication the raids are affecting turnout. On the contrary, she reports a surge in early voting in minority communities across the country. She states that the intimidation strategy is not working and that Americans are tuning it out. She notes huge surges in participation in communities of color, Latino communities, and other groups targeted by ICE and DHS. Weiser adds that intimidation at the polls is illegal and should be reported.