Jersey Kebab ICE raid: Judge grants mother to be released on bond
The Brief
Celal and Emine Emanet, owners of Jersey Kebab in Haddon Township, were arrested on February 25 during an ICE raid.
Celal was later released with an ankle monitor, and Emine was sent to a detention center in Elizabeth.
On Tuesday, March 11, an immigration judge granted the release of Emine on bond.
HADDON TWP., NJ - Emine Emanet, 47, has been in ICE detention since she and her husband were arrested on February 25, 2025.
A judge has granted the South Jersey mother to be released on bond.
The backstory
Celal and Emine Emanet, owners of Jersey Kebab in Haddon Township, were arrested on February 25, 2025 during an ICE raid.
The husband and wife were told they were being detained to update their case file, which the family says has been in limbo since 2016.
The couple purportedly applied for a green card nearly 10 years ago and have been awaiting a final decision ever since.
Celal was later released with an ankle monitor, and Emine was sent to a detention center in Elizabeth.
A GoFundMe campaign for the Emanet family has raised over $320k as of this writing.
What we know
Two weeks after the couple's arrests, an immigration judge granted a $7,500 bond to release Emine Emanet.
Though the family filled out the Department of Homeland Security paperwork Tuesday after the immigration hearing, it was too late to pay the bail.
Therefore, Emine will be released Wednesday morning.
The Emanet family has received an overwhelming outpouring of support from the South Jersey community after the ICE raid.
What they're saying
The couple's oldest son, Muhammed, spoke with FOX 29's Jennifer Lee Tuesday.
"At the end of the day hopefully what started as a nightmare will end as a fairytale for us and finally we'll have what we've truly been looking for and have the same human rights next to our American citizens as well," said Muhammed.
Congressman Norcross sent the following statement:
"I'm glad to see that Emine was able to reunite with her family. The Emanet family's story is a clear example of why we need real immigration reform that will make a legal pathway to citizenship. While their legal battle is far from over, my office will continue to work with the family throughout the process."
Later Tuesday night, Muhammed spoke with FOX 29 and expressed his happiness over his mom's pending release.
"She was very happy. I spent one hour with her because it was visitors time after court. Between 5 and 6pm. She was very happy. She was very excited. But I wish we had completed all the paperwork today, but we didn't have time unfortunately, but she's very happy."
What's next
Though Emine will be released on bail, the family still faces court hearings for both Emine and to determine if they will get deported.
The Source
The information in this story is from the Emanet family.
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