Morristown ICE Sweep: Judge Orders Teen’s Release as DHS Says 11 Arrested and “Currently Detained”

A Sunday morning operation along Speedwell Avenue and Henry Street triggered protests, school-district safety demands, and a rare federal court order finding a Morristown teen’s detention violated due process, as questions remain about the other people taken into custody.

MORRISTOWN — Federal immigration agents detained multiple people during a Sunday morning enforcement action along Speedwell Avenue and Henry Street, an operation the Department of Homeland Security later described as “routine immigration enforcement” that resulted in 11 arrests. In the days that followed, a federal judge ordered the release of Morristown High School student Juan Daniel Mendoza after finding his arrest unlawful, while the identities and case details of other detainees have not been publicly released in full.

What happened on Speedwell Avenue

Witnesses and local reporting described agents arriving in black SUVs and detaining people near Henry Street and Speedwell Avenue, including outside Willmar’s Laundromat, around 10:15 a.m. on Sunday, Jan. 11.

Initial reports and local officials cited a smaller number of detentions, including estimates of at least seven people taken. By Thursday, Jan. 15, DHS said 11 people were arrested in Morristown during the operation.

The high school student, and what a judge ruled

The student identified in multiple reports as Juan Daniel Mendoza, a Morristown High School senior, was detained during the Jan. 11 operation, according to his family and local coverage. (There was early confusion as to Mendoza's age: Patch reported January 12, 2026, that Mendoza was 18, while Morristown Green reported a day later that the high school senior was 17. Most recently, NJ.com reported that Mendoza was 18.)

On Thursday, Jan. 15, U.S. District Judge Evelyn Padin ordered Mendoza’s release by 5 p.m. from the Elizabeth detention facility, finding he was “unlawfully detained in violation of his due process rights.” Mendoza returned to his family the next day. The judge also barred federal authorities from re-arresting and re-detaining him without first showing he poses a flight risk or danger to the public.

Patch previously reported that Mendoza’s family said he is from Honduras, entered the U.S. alone as a child, enrolled at Morristown High School in 2024, and had an upcoming hearing where he would seek Special Immigrant Juvenile Status, a federal classification available to some young people under 21 who meet specific legal criteria.

Has the federal government responded?

Yes, but largely in broad terms and without individual case detail.

DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement on January 15th that ICE “arrested 11” people during “routine immigration enforcement actions,” adding that those arrested were “either in removal proceedings or in the process of being removed,” and claiming that several had felony offenses. DHS did not publicly release names, individual arrest rationales, or case paperwork in the statements cited in local reporting.

“On January 11, ICE arrested eleven illegal aliens during routine immigration enforcement actions in Morristown, New Jersey. Several of those with felony offenses. Others took advantage of the Biden administration’s open border crisis," said U.S. Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs Tricia McLaughlin in a statement on Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026. "All individuals are currently detained, and either in removal proceedings or in the process of being removed from the United States in accordance with U.S. immigration law."

What we know about at least one other family affected

NJ.com reported that a 6-year-old child was found outside crying after her father, Adonay Mancia Rodríguez, was detained during the Morristown action while picking up food. DHS did not confirm Rodríguez’s specific charges or whereabouts in its statement. (There is a GoFundMe to help Mr. Rodriguez return to his family.)

Photo from the GoFundMe for Adonay Mancia Rodriguez

Community response: protests, school safety demands, and local officials’ statements

The detentions quickly reverberated through Morristown’s schools and civic life.

At a Morris School District board meeting, Superintendent Anne Mucci acknowledged “fear, confusion, and distress” among some students and families, and a parent presented a petition urging emergency steps and clearer communication about safety and support services.

There was a public rally and protest activity in the days after the raid, as residents and advocates called for more transparency and support for impacted families.

Mayor Tim Dougherty said in a statement that he was not given advance notice of the ICE action and expressed concern about its impact on Morristown residents, while urging immigration attorneys to assist detainees pro bono.

"Actions like this create fear and uncertainty for families who contribute every day to our schools, businesses, and neighborhoods. I want our immigrant residents to know that the Town of Morristown stands with you and will continue to advocate for dignity, fairness, and respect for all who call this community home.” The statement continues, “Any immigration attorney in our community, or outside our community, that wants to help us and assist the people who were picked up, swept up, in this raid, and have the ability to do it pro bono, we’d be extremely grateful to our community. The people that were picked up probably don’t have the means to pay for immigration attorneys, but they need to know their rights and get as much protection as humanly possible.”

What residents can do now

For families trying to locate someone believed to be in ICE custody, ICE maintains the Online Detainee Locator System and detention facilities typically provide detainee-information phone lines. Local legal aid and immigrant-rights groups also provide “know your rights” guidance and referrals for immigration counsel.

What remains unanswered

Even after the court-ordered release of Mendoza and DHS’s statement about 11 arrests, key questions remain unresolved for Morristown residents:

• Who are the other people detained, and what are the specific legal grounds for each detention?

• Where are the remaining detainees being held, and have any been granted bond hearings or release orders?

• What documentation ICE relied on in each arrest, and whether any detainees had pending immigration petitions or court dates.

For now, the Morristown sweep has become a test of how quickly federal enforcement actions can reshape daily life in a diverse community, and how local institutions, especially schools, respond when families want immediate clarity on safety, rights, and resources.

Learn more about How We Can Fix ICE (ICE and the Immigration Equation: How Targeted Priorities Can Restore Trust—and Strengthen a Country Built by Newcomers), or The Argument to Abolish ICE (Why We Should Abolish ICE: When “Protection” Turns Into Detention, Violence, and Fear) at TheMinuteman.org.

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