FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

January 17, 2026

Residents Pack Montclair Town Hall, ICE Watch Training Hosted by Analilia Mejia and Mayor Ras Baraka

Fed up with ICE terrorizing their communities, more than 150 town hall attendees cheer Analilia Mejia after she pledges to Abolish ICE and impeach Kristi Noem

MONTCLAIR, NJ — Over 150 residents from Montclair and the surrounding area packed the Montclair Women’s Club on Saturday for an ICE Watch training and town hall with Newark Mayor Ras Baraka and Analilia Mejia, candidate for Congress in New Jersey’s 11th congressional district.

The crowd erupted in cheers when Mejia pledged to abolish ICE and shut down Delaney Hall if elected to Congress.

“Trump is sending in his secret police force to go after our neighbors, our coworkers, and our friends and family. Masked ICE agents murdered Renee Nicole Good in broad daylight. Families are being separated right here in this district. There is no way to reform this. If you send me to Congress, you can count on me to abolish ICE, period, full stop,” said Analilia Mejia. “We have to shut down Delaney Hall, impeach Kristie Noem, and rip the mask off every single agent. We can stop this administration from terrorizing our communities, but that requires elected officials who will actually use the power they have instead of trying to fix this with more funding, more trainings, and more paperwork.”

Mejia was joined by Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, who was arrested by ICE in May outside of Delaney Hall in Newark. Mayor Baraka spoke about the urgent need for communities to stick together and elect leaders like Analilia Mejia who are not afraid to stand up to the Trump administration.

“Right now, ICE is terrorizing our communities. Families are afraid to go to work, to take their kids to school, to live their lives. We can't sit back and wait for someone to save us, we have to protect each other. That's what today is about," said Mayor Ras Baraka. "Analilia understands that fighting back starts in our neighborhoods, but it has to continue in Congress. We need representatives who won't obey in advance, and who will use every tool they have to keep our communities safe. That's the kind of fighter Analilia has always been, and that's the kind of member of Congress she'll be."

After the town hall, local community organizers led a training on what to do if they see ICE and on the principles of Kingian Nonviolence, a method of conflict resolution developed from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s work. The training encouraged residents to report ICE sightings to the DIRE hotline (1-888-DIRE-SOS or 1-888-347-3767) using the SALUTE method: Size/Strength, Actions/Activity, Location and direction, Uniform and clothes, Time and date, and Equipment and weapons.

Senator Sanders will campaign with Mejia in New Jersey on Monday, January 19th at William Paterson University.

The special primary election for New Jersey's 11th Congressional District will be held on Thursday, February 5th, 2026.