Atlantic City police accused of helping ICE during traffic stop. Chief pushes back

🚨Immigrant advocates say Atlantic City police helping ICE during a traffic stop

🚨Police Chief James Sarkos says the stop was prompted by dangerous driving

🚨El Pueblo Unido is calling for an emergency protest outside police headquarters

Atlantic City police are pushing back against claims that officers helped ICE during a traffic stop, saying video circulating online creates a misleading impression about what happened.

The group El Pueblo Unido posted video it says shows ICE agents approaching an Atlantic City officer and asking for help. Moments later, the group says the officer stopped the group's director, Cristian Moreno, as he followed ICE vehicles that they say had detained one of his "countrymen."

The group says that after the stop officers prevented Moreno from documenting the vehicles' trip to ICE's Delaney Hall detention facility in Newark.

Police chief says officer was enforcing traffic laws

Atlantic City Police Chief James A. Sarkos said posts about the stop create a "misleading impression" about why the vehicle was stopped. He posted surveillance video of the stop.

"The facts are straightforward: the officer personally observed a dangerous motor vehicle violation that created a serious risk to the safety of the public," Sarkos said. "The officer did exactly what our officers are trained, sworn, and expected to do. He conducted a motor vehicle stop after observing dangerous driving and issued the appropriate summons."

Sarkos said the department follows the state's Immigrant Trust Directive and did not assist ICE.

El Pueblo Unido accused Sarkos of lying and has called for an "emergency protest" in front of police headquarters on Atlantic Avenue on Saturday.

Report a correction 👈 | 👉 Contact our newsroom