Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents arrested Emine Emanet, owner of Jersey Kebab in Haddon Township, two weeks ago. An immigration judge granted her release on bond Tuesday, and her family secured the $7,500 bond Wednesday.
ICE officers detained Emanet at the Elizabeth Detention Center on Feb. 25. They also arrested her husband, Celal Emanet, but released him the same day with an ankle monitor to care for one of their sons.
When Emine Emanet returned home, family and friends gathered to celebrate. Speaking through her son Muhammad, who translated, Emanet expressed gratitude for being back with her loved ones. She described the experience as emotionally overwhelming, saying the separation from her family had been one of the most difficult times of her life.
Emanet recalled feeling unfairly treated during her detention, unsure why she had been taken into custody. According to her son, she struggled with the confinement and questioned why she was being held. She also sought ways to support others at the facility, trying to uplift fellow detainees facing similar uncertainties.
Support for the Emanet family extended beyond close friends and relatives. Community members and local business owners voiced concerns over her detention, sending letters on her behalf and calling for her release. Many described her as a hardworking business owner who had become an integral part of the community.
The couple arrived legally from Turkey in 2008 on an R-1 visa. Celal Emanet applied for a green card before the visa expired, but their immigration status has remained in limbo since 2016. The uncertainty has placed a strain on their business Jersey Kebab and family life. It forced them to navigate an immigration system that left them in legal limbo for nearly a decade.
During Emine Emanet’s hearing, supporters read letters from neighbors and local business owners in her defense. The New York-based Envision Freedom Fund covered her bond, showing the widespread backing for her release.
Family members said they appreciate the judge’s decision to grant bond, but their legal battle continues. Emine Emanet faces a deportation hearing Tuesday. Her husband’s next hearing is scheduled for May, though their attorney is pushing for a joint case. They remain hopeful for a resolution that allows them to continue building their lives in the United States.
The New Jersey Digest is a new jersey magazine that has chronicled daily life in the Garden State for over 10 years.