Synagogue custodian detained by ICE, New Jersey mayor calls for his release
The custodian’s arrest comes as the Trump administration has ordered mass ICE raids across the country
US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents look over lists of names and their hearing times and locations inside the Federal Plaza courthouse before making arrests on June 27, 2025 in New York. Photo by Bryan R. SMITH / AFP
(JTA) — The custodian of a synagogue in Glen Rock, New Jersey was detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), sparking calls for his release from the mayor of the northern New Jersey suburb.
Jorge Tomas Dagar Aquino, who had been working for the Glen Rock Jewish Center since 2014 and became the center’s full time maintenance supervisor in 2020, was detained by ICE during an asylum interview on June 16.
Glen Rock Mayor Kristine Morieko condemned his detention, asserting it was “in direct violation of due process and without cause.”
“Over the years, he has become an integral part of our community — not only through his work, but also through his relationships, his kindness, and his quiet contributions to the dignity of their shared space,” Morieko said.
The mayor also called on the Glen Rock community to write hand-signed letters of support for Aquino, who had lived in the United States for over 20 years, and send them to the Glen Rock Jewish Center.
Morieko did not immediately respond to a request for an update on Aquino’s arrest by JTA. The Glen Rock Jewish Center declined to comment on Aquino’s case, saying that it could jeopardize his immigration proceedings.
According to the synagogue website, Aquino is originally from Ecuador. He is married with three daughters and two grandchildren.
Aquino’s arrest by immigration enforcement comes as the Trump administration has ordered mass arrests and deportations of undocumented people across the United States.
Earlier this month in California, a volley of immigration raids and detainments sparked mass protests against ICE. As tensions over the protests mounted, rabbis and other Jewish communal leaders in California called for protesters to remain nonviolent.
In February, the governing bodies of the Reform, Conservative and Reconstructionist movements joined a lawsuit attempting to block the Trump administration from carrying out ICE raids at houses of worship. But in April, a federal judge sided with the Trump administration in such cases.
