Five Reported Arrested at Atlantic City ICE Protest as Questions Remain About Confrontation

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. — Five people were reportedly arrested Saturday during a heated protest outside Atlantic City police headquarters stemming from a dispute between police and a local immigrant-rights organization, according to separate published reports.

Both BreakingAC and The Press of Atlantic City are now reporting five arrests from the demonstration outside the Clayton G. Graham Public Safety Building.

That resolves an earlier discrepancy between the two outlets over the number of people taken into custody. BreakingAC initially reported at least four arrests while The Press reported five.

As of Sunday morning, however, the Atlantic City Police Department had not issued a public release detailing the protest arrests. South Jersey NewsBeat therefore has not independently confirmed the final arrest count, the complete identities of those arrested or the charges filed against each person.

El Pueblo Unido Executive Director Cristian Moreno-Rodriguez was among those arrested.

BreakingAC has identified Keli Smith and Anthony Diaz and reported, citing court records, that each was charged with obstruction and resisting. Another person had been identified only by the first name Jose in earlier reporting.

Questions also remain about the confrontation that preceded the arrests, including the circumstances surrounding a reported pepper-spray incident.

Dispute Began With Traffic Stop

Saturday's demonstration grew out of an encounter earlier in the week between Moreno-Rodriguez and Atlantic City police while he was following and documenting federal immigration enforcement activity in the city.

El Pueblo Unido accused Atlantic City police of interfering with Moreno-Rodriguez as he monitored vehicles associated with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Police strongly disputed that characterization.

Atlantic City Police Chief James Sarkos released city surveillance video and said the officer who stopped Moreno-Rodriguez personally witnessed a dangerous motor vehicle violation that created a risk to public safety.

According to police, the officer conducted the stop because of the driving violation and issued a motor vehicle summons.

Sarkos also denied that the Police Department was assisting ICE and said Atlantic City police operate in accordance with the New Jersey Attorney General's Immigrant Trust Directive, which limits circumstances under which state and local police may assist federal immigration authorities.

Police characterized the encounter as a traffic stop resulting from an observed violation and unrelated to immigration enforcement.

El Pueblo Unido rejected the police explanation and called Saturday's emergency protest outside police headquarters.

Protest Turns Confrontational

The demonstration drew supporters of El Pueblo Unido as well as at least one person expressing support for ICE.

BreakingAC reported that police intervened after a pro-ICE man recording the demonstration became involved in a physical confrontation with at least one protester.

The outlet identified the man as Devon Barber, who told BreakingAC he was pepper-sprayed by a protester.

South Jersey NewsBeat has not independently verified who deployed the pepper spray, the circumstances surrounding its use or whether anyone was charged specifically in connection with that allegation.

Photos and video from Saturday showed a significant police presence and officers taking demonstrators into custody.

Attorney Jonathan Diego, who represented people arrested during the protest, told BreakingAC that police were placed in a difficult position once the physical interaction occurred and said officers acted professionally during the demonstration.

Moreno-Rodriguez was released Saturday afternoon and returned to the demonstration, according to published reports.

Five Arrests Now Reported

Initial accounts differed over how many people had been arrested.

BreakingAC initially reported at least four arrests, while The Press of Atlantic City reported five.

BreakingAC subsequently reported a fifth arrest, bringing the two published accounts into agreement that five people were taken into custody.

The lack of a detailed public account from Atlantic City police, however, means important information remains unconfirmed.

As of Sunday morning, police had not publicly provided a complete list of those arrested, the specific charge or charges against each person or the department's narrative explaining what prompted each arrest.

That distinction is important because the Police Department has publicly addressed the original traffic stop involving Moreno-Rodriguez but has not yet provided the same level of detail about what occurred during Saturday's demonstration.

Mayor Calls for Cooperation

Mayor Marty Small Sr. also addressed the confrontation Saturday, saying the city and Police Department are not opposed to Atlantic City's Hispanic community and expressing hope that the different sides can work together.

The dispute comes amid heightened concern within Atlantic City's immigrant community over federal immigration enforcement.

El Pueblo Unido has been monitoring and documenting ICE activity in Atlantic County and has urged residents to report sightings of federal immigration agents.

The disagreement involving Moreno-Rodriguez began after he was following vehicles associated with ICE when Atlantic City police stopped him.

Police maintain the stop resulted from an officer personally witnessing unsafe driving and was unrelated to ICE.

El Pueblo Unido maintains the stop interfered with its effort to document federal immigration enforcement.

Questions Still Await Official Answers

Although the two published accounts now agree that five people were arrested, several significant questions remain.

The complete identities of all five people have not been publicly established through an official police release. Neither has a complete accounting of the charges against each person.

It also remains unclear whether anyone was charged specifically in connection with the physical confrontation or the reported use of pepper spray.

South Jersey NewsBeat will update this story when the Atlantic City Police Department releases additional information about Saturday's arrests.