Trenton Police Director Steve Wilson Faces Backlash Over Officers’ Alleged ICE Collaboration

Trenton Police Director Steve Wilson faced renewed scrutiny from city council members and community advocates during a recent public meeting, where residents accused the police department of collaborating with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) without judicial warrants.

The allegations were raised during the public-comment period of a Trenton City Council meeting held on April 21, 2026, when a large delegation of rapid responders and residents presented lists of individuals they claimed had been transferred to ICE custody following Trenton Police Department involvement.

In response, Police Director Steve Wilson denied routine collaboration between the Trenton Police Department and ICE, explaining that detainers and transfers to federal custody are generally processed through the county workhouse, not handled directly by Trenton officers.

Wilson emphasized that officers respond to calls for service and do not engage in systematic cooperation with federal immigration authorities, countering claims that police routinely assist ICE operations in the city.

Community organizers, including members of Resistencia en Acción NJ’s Rapid Response team, have documented specific incidents they allege demonstrate collaboration. On August 21, 2025, police officers arrived at an ICE raid scene, blocked off the area, and arrested organizer Asma Elhuni after she demanded that ICE agents show a judicial warrant before entering a residence.

On September 23, 2025, ICE detained a mother while she was driving, then detained a woman caring for her children. according to organizers, Trenton PD accompanied ICE into a home after ICE requested a wellness check on an allegedly abandoned child. Organizers dispute this narrative, stating that adults were present in the home and that ICE agents entered without a warrant.

A woman who resided in the home described to organizers how ICE agents and police searched through her closets and clothing during the incident, which she characterized as a raid that caused her to tremble with fear.

City council members acknowledged the concerns and pledged to continue drafting an ordinance aimed at limiting police collaboration with ICE unless a judicial warrant is presented.

The debate reflects ongoing tension between immigrant rights advocates and law enforcement over the extent of local police involvement in federal immigration enforcement, a issue that has surfaced in multiple Trenton City Council meetings over the past year.