A video recorded in Passaic, New Jersey, has gone viral after showing a man repeatedly asking ICE agents to check his identification while they handcuffed and detained him. Because the recording begins after the encounter was already underway, it remains unclear what happened before the arrest or why agents took him into custody.
The incident took place on July 13, 2026, in Passaic, New Jersey. While the clip does not show what happened prior to the arrest, the video does show the man repeatedly asking ICE to check his ID, which they decline to do. Another noteworthy element of the video is the fact that there were multiple ICE agents present to detain the one man who was, presumably, unarmed.
New Jersey Reacts to Viral ICE Detention Video
The now-viral clip has sparked fear in internet users. One person commented, “These are Nazis. Plain and simple.” Another echoed that sentiment with, “They’re such cowards they’ll say they were ‘just following orders’ when they finally face their day in court.” The negative commentary about ICE agents continued, with the vast majority of commenters criticizing their actions.
Others were less focused on the agents themselves, and felt it was more important to look into ICE’s process of detaining people as a whole. One person wrote, “We’re blowing right past the ‘show us your papers’ part and skipping to the ’round up the different lookers.’” Another asserted, “Surrounded and pushed around by five men: ‘Why is he resisting?’ They’re literally trying to make it look like he’s resisting while trying to break his arm.“
Many expressed fear of encountering ICE while going about their daily routines. Many people believe the clip is evidence that one’s immigration status has no bearing on whether one will be detained. As one person put it, “So it has nothing to do with legally being here.” Another responded with, “It’s gonna blow your mind when you find out it never has been.“
It remains legally unclear whether ICE is required to verify someone’s identity before detaining them. That said, according to the NAACP, if they arrest a U.S. citizen, that person would then have grounds for a federal lawsuit. Neither the man’s identity nor his immigration or citizenship status has been independently confirmed by The Nerd Stash, ICE, or any other party at this time.
So far, ICE has not released any information about this particular arrest. In similar incidents this year, ICE and the Department of Homeland Security have defended agents’ conduct by stating that anyone who resists or interferes with an arrest, including U.S. citizens, can face detention regardless of status. Their silence around the issue has only heightened New Jersey residents’ fears about ICE’s presence in the state.
