Latest news with #Emine
CBS News
30-03-2025
- CBS News
South Jersey restaurant reopens after owners' arrest by ICE sparks community outpouring
A South Jersey family restaurant marked its return Sunday with a free Eid al-Fitr feast for the community, just over a month after its owners were arrested by ICE agents . Jersey Kebab , a beloved Turkish restaurant on Haddon Avenue in Haddon Township, will officially reopen for regular business hours on Tuesday. But on Sunday, hundreds of customers lined up for a complimentary spread of kebabs, rice and other traditional dishes to celebrate the Islamic holiday of Eid. Owners Emine and Celal Emanet were able to serve customers for the first time in weeks. The couple was arrested by ICE agents at their restaurant on Feb. 25. The couple emigrated from Turkey in 2008 on a religious visa, and their green card applications are still pending. Emine Emanet spent two weeks detained at a facility in Elizabeth, New Jersey, before her release on bond in mid-March . Her husband, Celal, who was released earlier with an ankle monitor, said the couple believes the community's support played a big role in her release. "On her bond court, it helped a lot," Celal Emanet said. "The judge makes the decision. … They saw the letters. He saw around 300 letters. We had a lot more than that." Jersey Kebab's building is now decorated with notes of support from the community, left by customers who were shocked by what happened to the Emanets. "We are real people, you know. We didn't harm anybody. We are not criminals," Celal Emanet said. Local residents who attended Sunday's feast said they wanted to support the family through a difficult ordeal. "What went down, it's unfair," said Cameron Siler, of Mount Laurel. "And they're not the only people that are going through it. So, you know, I just want to see some change." Jersey Kebab plans to resume normal operations on Tuesday.
Yahoo
15-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Jersey Kebab ICE raid: NJ officials speak out against system that detained couple
The Brief The New Jersey woman detained by immigration and Customs Enforcement officers, or ICE, is home with her family. But the fight to keep her here in the United States continues. HADDON TOWNSHIP, N.J. - Two weeks ago, ICE agents raided a Haddon Township restaurant and took a husband and wife out in handcuffs. Both are back home, but their family says they still have a long way to go until the ordeal is over. The backstory Celal and Emine Emanet, owners of Jersey Kebab in Haddon Township, were arrested on February 25, 2025 during an ICE raid. Celal was released with an ankle monitor while Emine was sent to a detention center in Elizabeth. She was released on bond March 12. What they're saying The Emanet family is overwhelmed by the love and support of family, friends and even strangers. Emine said, "I'm so happy! They are my family and they all said welcome home and it touched my heart!" Customer Steve Barton said, "You see it on the news, but you don't think it could happen in somewhere where you live. You don't think that you'd be impacted by it, but I'm so proud of this community." System is broken Ever since they were detained, friends and customers of Jersey Kabob wrote letters on behalf of Celal and Emine to help keep them in this country. They've been waiting for word on their green card application for years, in a system that state and local officials say is broken. "There is a very real difference of a broken immigration system. The border issues we've seen down to the south and what we see behind us today – a huge difference," New Jersey Representative Donald Norcross stated. Mayor Randall Teague said, "I hope there is and there should be a path to citizenship for them. These are the types of people that we want to have in our country and we should be able to have them legally in our country." Dig deeper The couple's 25-year-old son, Muhammed has been shouldering most of the weight of the stressful situation and admits it hasn't been easy, "It hasn't been, I mean, to be honest, until you asked me, I don't really think about how I feel. But, then you know, somebody asks you, like, 'How are you doing?' You just keep moving, day by day." And, Emine couldn't be more proud and then spoke a phrase in Turkish, to which Muhammed translated, loosely, saying, "She said as she was my age, she was always outgoing, very outspoken and not afraid to say anything and always being an independent young woman, so she's like, 'I see my genetics in him.'" What's next Emine was supposed to be in court next week, but her husband's case isn't set for another month. Their attorney is trying to have both of them appear together so they can know their fate at the same time.
Yahoo
13-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
South Jersey family reunites with mother after ICE raids Jersey Kebab restaurant
The Brief Emine Emanet, 47, has been released from a detention center after ICE officers raided her family-owned business on February 25, 2025. Both Emine and her husband, Celal Emanet, were detained by ICE, but Emine was released on bond weeks after Celal was released. The Emanet family reunited at the detention center in Elizabeth, NJ Wednesday for Emine's release. HADDON TWP., NJ - "Reunited and it feels so good." A South Jersey mother is back with her family after being detained by ICE for more than two weeks. The Haddon Township family says their nightmare is over, for now. What we know It was a joyful reunion for the Emanet family, warmly embracing Emine, who has been in custody at the Elizabeth Detention Center these last two weeks. "I'm so happy now," said Emine Emanet, released from Elizabeth Detention Center. "My heart is very full, happy to say," said Celal Emanet of Jersey Kebab. Her husband Celal and son Muhammed have been fighting for Emine's release since ICE raided their business, Jersey Kebab, in Haddon Township on February 25. Celal was released that day with a GPS ankle monitor, but authorities chose to detain Emine, holding her at the Elizabeth Detention Center in North Jersey. "You know it was tough days. You know we're in trial. Sometimes we are in tough days, sometimes we have good days, so today is a very good day for me," Celal said. The family moved from Turkey to the U.S. in 2008 on a religious worker's visa. Before that expired, Celal applied for a green card, but it was denied three times, and the family has been going through the appeals process since 2016, waiting for a decision. The nonprofit Envision Freedom Fund in Brooklyn paid for Emine's $7,500 bond, and now the couple both have upcoming court hearings to decide their fate in the U.S. "Even though my mom was only in there for two weeks, she said there are others in there who have been in there for months and they have not seen the sun at all, they have not seen the sky at all for this entire time," said Muhammed Emanet, their son. During the interview, Emine spoke in Turkish, expressing her appreciation to the community for standing up for her and her family. "It made her very emotional. It made her—they're truly like our family now. Hugs and kisses to all our community and our neighbors," Muhammed translated. Emine says she'd like to get right back to work at their family-owned business. But first, she will spend quality time with her family. The Source The information in this story is from the Emanet family.
Yahoo
12-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
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.
CBS News
27-02-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
New Jersey leaders rally around Haddon Township restaurant owners arrested by ICE
Two days after Celal Emanet and his wife, Emine, were detained by immigration officials at their Haddon Township restaurant, Jersey Kebab, he's waiting for answers. While Celal Emanet was released Tuesday evening with an ankle monitor, he says his wife remains held in a detention center in Elizabeth, New Jersey. "I hope, fingers crossed, we're gonna get some good news from my lawyer," Celal Emanet said Thursday afternoon. He said his wife is scheduled to have a bail hearing in three weeks, and they're working to get that moved up and have her return home. But the father of four said that explaining Emine's absence to one of his children, who has autism, has been a challenge. "I told him, 'Your mom, she's at the camp with her friends.' I made up some story," Celal Emanet said. In the days since ICE agents arrested the Emanets, the Haddon Township community has rallied around the family. On Thursday, people were taping dozens of paper hearts to the Jersey Kebab windows with messages of support. "Literally shower these people with love ... so that everyone driving by sees the support," Gretchen Seibert from Collingswood said. "They're good folk, and our country's better than this," Lori Keene said. The Emanets now have the support of local leaders as well. "What happened to Celal and Emine is outrageous. And here in Camden County, we take it as a personal attack on all of us," Camden County Commissioner Director Louis Cappelli Jr. said. On Thursday, a group of local mayors and Camden County commissioners gathered outside the restaurant to throw their support behind the family. The lawmakers railed against the arrests and said the couple embodies the American dream. "We couldn't ask for better people in our community, better people to have a business in our community," Haddon Township Mayor Randy Teague said. "This family is a family that embodies the very best of Camden County. And now they're torn apart by this broken immigration system," Cappelli said. The American immigration system was a particular focus for the lawmakers. The group referenced the bipartisan immigration deal reached by the U.S. Senate in early 2024 that President Trump, a candidate at the time, nixed. CBS News Philadelphia has continued to reach out to ICE officials for information on Tuesday's operation at the Jersey Kebab restaurant. So far, we have not heard back. The Emanet family says they came to the United States from Turkey legally in 2008. The family says they have since applied for green cards, but their applications have been pending since 2016. While local leaders acknowledge there is little they can do to fix that on their own, they did vow to push officials in Washington to act. "Contacting every one of our federal representatives in the state of New Jersey. We'll be sending a letter to the White House for whatever that's worth and using whatever resources we have to assist this family," Cappelli said. While federal lawmakers were absent from Thursday's gathering, representatives from Sen. Cory Booker's office and Rep. Donald Norcross's office attended. Norcross released a statement saying, "By all accounts, it appears as though Celal and Emine are upstanding members of our community who came to the United States legally and took every measure necessary to ensure they can remain living here with legal status. We must create an immigration system that stays true to our American values. My office is in direct contact with the family, and we are reaching out to the appropriate federal agencies." "They needed to get some facts from Muhammed [Celal and Emine Emanet's son] and the family, and they're going to do whatever they can. What that is, I think they're still going through that process," Teague said. Meanwhile, the Emanet family continues to speak with their lawyer and wait for word on when Emine Emanet will be released from custody. But Celal Emanet said the outpouring of support from the community has been overwhelming, saying he's received hundreds of texts, calls and social media messages. "We touched their hearts with our food or our love," he said, "because we share everything."
