Celal and Muhammed Emanet outside the family's restaurant, Jersey Kebab, in Haddon Township. Credit: Matt Skoufalos.
Local, County Officials Pledge Action in Support of Jersey Kebab Family’s Immigration Case
Mayors from Collingswood, Haddonfield, and Haddon Township stood with Camden County government officials Thursday in support of the Emanet family, who was detained on a warrantless raid Tuesday. Their case has rattled communities along Haddon Avenue who decry their arrests as enforcement overreach.
A U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement spokesperson describes the enforcement action against the Emanet family of Cherry Hill as an administrative arrest. Immigration attorney Jeff DeCristofaro says that’s a civil matter, not a criminal one, amid the family's ongoing appeal for citizenship through legal channels.
After U.S. Marshals raided Jersey Kebab, her Haddon Twp. restaurant, Emine Emanet was sent to a detention facility in Elizabeth. She awaits a bond hearing in two weeks. Her family is asking friends and neighbors to send letters of support to their congressman.