Immigrant restaurant owners in Haddon Township, New Jersey, arrested by ICE, son says
U.S. Marshals and Immigrations and Customs Enforcement officers showed up at Jersey Kebab restaurant in Haddon Township, New Jersey, early Tuesday morning and took the owners into custody, according to Muhammed Emanet, the owners' son.
"There's a U.S. Marshal that's standing outside with a machine gun, and he looks at me, said no, no, no, don't come in here, and I said I work here. So when I came in, they had my dad sitting down in a chair and a female officer already handcuffed my mom from the back," Emanet said.
Emanet said he was completely blindsided when his parents Emine and Celal Emanet were taken into custody.
He quickly took over the family recipes to keep the business moving but eventually had to close for the time being.
"I'm looking around because all the workers are in shock. Customers are standing outside looking in, like what's going on? I have a 50-people catering order on the grill that's still lit up," he said.
Muhammed Emanet said his family came to the country back in 2008. He says his father is a local substitute imam and has his doctorate in history in Turkey.
Muhammed Emanet said his father was released with an ankle monitor, but his mother is still in custody.
CBS News Philadelphia reached out to ICE and is waiting to hear back.
"Their immigration is actually still pending, but because their court case hasn't been decided yet, until it is decided, they're just going to be held liable and not be able to be on free will," Muhammed Emanet said.
He said he's not sure when the family restaurant will reopen. They are still trying to figure everything out, and he says his mother is the one who keeps the place going.
"She is the anchor of our restaurant, and until she is here, we're going to be closed," he said.
Muhammed Emanet said he is grateful to the community and is remaining positive.
"Being the type of people we are as Muslims we are taught that no matter how much someone have wronged you, you have to kill them with kindness almost," he said. "You have to forgive them and let it go."
Mother still in custody
Emine Emanet was taken to a facility in Elizabeth, New Jersey, and has a bond hearing scheduled in three weeks, the family said Wednesday. The family is trying to get that moved up, Muhammed Emanet said.
"I am worried about her," Celal Emanet said about his wife of 27 years.
Celal Emanet said he first came to the United States on a religious visa in 2008 and has been trying to gain permanent residency ever since.
The family has been trying to go through the immigration process the right way, but their petitions for green cards have been pending since 2016, Muhammed Emanet said.
"We are waiting [to] get some results and we didn't see anything, and it's too many years and I had to survive ... I had to work," Celal Emanet said about opening the restaurant.
Community stunned: "Sweet, loving people"
The community has rallied around the Emanets and raised thousands of dollars for them.
"I actually didn't even know the owners' first names because I always just called them Ma and Pa," said Katie Kerr, who worked at the restaurant. "They're just really sweet, loving people."
Mary D'Agati, who lives in Haddonfield, said she has seen Emine Emanet bring people experiencing homelessness into the shop to give them food.
"They give to people all the time, people in need," said Anita Campana from Haddon Township Barber Shop. "There's a sign on their door that they'll give to you if you're disabled or if you simply can't afford it."
