HARRISON, New Jersey (WABC) — Officials in Harrison, New Jersey are demanding answers after a man was taken into custody by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in front of his children, an incident that drew outrage and spread widely on social media.
Video of the arrest shows the children of Jhon Maykel Correa Sangucho screaming as ICE agents surround the white SUV driven by their father and drag him from the vehicle.
The incident prompted a statement from Harrison Mayor James Fife and the Town Council.
“While we are seeking a full understanding of the circumstances surrounding this incident, it is heartbreaking to hear of children witnessing such a frightening and potentially traumatic experience in their own community,” the statement said.
Correa is from Honduras.
According to a statement from the Department of Homeland Security, “ICE officers arrested Correa with multiple traffic violations” and said that he “declined repeated lawful instructions to exit his vehicle.” DHS said Correa will remain in ICE custody pending removal proceedings and will receive due process.
The Harrison arrest occurred one day before another ICE-related incident in the Marble Hill section of New York City. Authorities said ICE agents fired multiple rounds at Oscar Belgal, 28, who was in a vehicle with his 5-year-old child. Belgal was grazed in the neck by a bullet.
DHS said Belgal has a history of encounters with police, while New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said Belgal has no warrants with the NYPD.
Speaking on MS NOW on Sunday, Mamdani criticized ICE operations in the city.
“I have said directly to the president, I’ve said directly to the secretary, as someone who cares about public safety, who cares about law and order, I am demanding that ICE cease their operations in our city immediately because these operations make New Yorkers less safe. They leave New Yorkers in a state of terror,” he said.
Meanwhile, New Jersey Congressman Rob Menendez also condemned the Harrison arrest.
“The Trump administration’s mass deportation campaign is tearing families apart and inflicting trauma that children may carry for the rest of their lives,” Menendez said in a statement.
The arrest has fueled renewed debate over ICE enforcement actions and their impact on families and children who witness them.
———-
* Get Eyewitness News Delivered
* Download the abc7NY app for breaking news alerts
* Download our connected TV app
Submit a tip or story idea to Eyewitness News
Have a breaking news tip or an idea for a story we should cover? Send it to Eyewitness News using the form below. If attaching a video or photo, terms of use apply.
Top Stories
Copyright © 2026 WABC-TV. All Rights Reserved.