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“We Cannot Protect People From It,” Says Mayor Freda on ICE 

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By Grace S.

On June 30, Princeton Mayor Mark Freda attended a press conference with the Princeton Summer Journal, where he discussed recent United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activity in the small New Jersey town. 

“Our police do not work with ICE. We do not support ICE in immigration matters in any way, shape, or form,” he said, expressing his dislike for the federal organization.

“It seems to me that ICE is concentrating on anybody that appears to be Latino. That is their A-number-one target, and so that’s problematic,” Freda said. Of the 15 people taken, he said he was “90-some-percent” sure that at least one had work authorization. “They’re going to work,” he said. “None of them are criminals.” 

Freda went on to discuss what his administration is doing to aid the detainees. One option is for the town to support the proposed New Jersey Immigrant Trust Act, which would protect immigrants and their personal information. The act has faced both pushback and support. 

“The Immigration Trust Act is something the state legislature will hopefully act on at some point,” Freda said. “People are concerned that if we pass the resolution in support of the act, that somehow, ICE and others will pay more attention to Princeton.” 

Freda faced pressure surrounding the legislation at a recent town council meeting. “We had probably about 60 or 70 people show up and were giving us a really hard time,” he said. Freda maintained that the act is a state matter and he is still undecided if he will support it. 

Despite immigration issues being out of his hands on a federal level, Freda still wants to support his constituents, as hard as that may be. 

“Why are we bothering these people? We cannot protect people from it. We just can’t,” he said. “It doesn’t matter. What resolution we pass doesn’t matter. We can’t. Until [things change] at the federal level, all we can do is offer help.”

Princeton Mayor Mark Freda Addresses ICE Raids, Public Discord, and the Fight for Trust

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By Jayden W.

Princeton Mayor Mark Freda has officiated weddings, shaken hands at hundreds of community events, and spent decades fighting fires for his hometown, but these past few months have proven some of the most difficult of his career. Not a blaze in a building, but a firestorm of public outcry.

The mayor, who joined Princeton’s volunteer fire department at just 15 years old, grew up in a Catholic household rooted in community service. That foundation shaped him into a leader who takes pride in public service, but the present political climate has tested even his strongest foundational principles.

At last week’s town council meeting, nearly 70 attendees packed the room, demanding answers after a disturbing encounter between community members and the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

According to Freda, ICE agents stopped a van carrying 15 people to work. The organization was reportedly looking for one individual, but detained everyone onboard, regardless of legal status or criminal history.

“It seems to me that ICE is concentrating on anybody that appears to be Latino,” Freda told the Princeton Summer Journal. He said he was “90-some-percent” sure that at least one person arrested had work authorization. “None of them are criminals,” he said. 

Freda noted that many who attended the council meeting were not Princetonians, but outsiders who were not focused on useful outcomes. “They were more concerned with how they were going to look on those film clips,” Freda said.

At the heart of the debate is the New Jersey Immigrant Trust Act, a proposed law to protect undocumented residents from deportation by restricting cooperation between local law enforcement and ICE. The Princeton town council is considering a resolution to support the act.

“People are concerned that if we pass the resolution, ICE and others will pay more attention to Princeton,” Freda said. “I don’t know if that’s actually true.”

The New Jersey State Legislature has the final call. Despite this tension, Freda remains steadfast in his love for the community that raised him.

“I’ve been here forever,” Freda said. He went on to share that what he wants is for his critics to say: “That guy was okay. I didn’t agree with him all the time, but you know what? He was okay.”

For Freda, the goal isn’t perfection, it’s presence. In a town that often demands both, “okay” might just be the most human standard of all.

Princeton Mayor Addresses Affordable Housing

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By Emmy M.

On July 30, Mayor Mark Freda addressed progress on affordable housing in Princeton, New Jersey, in a press conference with the Princeton Summer Journal.

“So what are we becoming? We’re becoming a town that has million-dollar-plus properties and… a pretty robust affordable housing program,” said Freda, emphasizing the importance of accessible housing for all income levels.

Building affordable housing in New Jersey has historically been difficult due to zoning regulations, but zoning in Princeton has changed significantly. Freda said that the town has put in place affordable housing overlay zones, a type of re-zoning that allows for more high-density housing. 

The municipality adopted its Fourth Round Housing Plan Element and Fair Share Plan in June. According to Freda, Princeton built around 750 affordable units in Round Three. Round Four proposes 276 units to be built in the next ten years. These units will be spread over 13 locations, including three 100 percent affordable sites.

“I think the main issues are what are we doing to help people, whether it’s the immigrant community or people that are just not as well off as others,” said Freda.

The way most of the sites are built is through developers who promise a certain number of affordable units if they’re allowed to build market-rate ones as well. The market-rate apartments offset the lack of profit on the affordable units, Freda said.

While he said the system isn’t ideal for the upkeep of resources like sewage, land capacity, and infrastructure, he did place an emphasis on creating incentives for developers to construct affordable housing. Recent federal budget cuts haven’t stopped the proposals, either. 

Freda explained that the town doesn’t rely on federal funding for affordable housing projects, since it mostly works with private developers or provides the funds itself.

Still, Freda emphasized that the process of building affordable housing in Princeton is far from over. “The average price of a residential home in Princeton last year was $1.4 million,” he said. “Unbelievable.” 

Mayor Mark Freda Provides Updates on Recent ICE Raids

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By Gabrielle B.

In a press conference with student journalists, Princeton Mayor Mark Freda provided updates regarding a United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raid that sparked fear in the community. Freda discussed the continued impact of the raid on the town and its immigrant communities.

Early morning July 24, 15 people were detained while heading to work. According to Freda, ICE was only looking for one person, but when the person entered the van, agents detained the others.

“We are very sure, like 90-some-percent sure, that at least one of those people had working papers and is here legally, and there was no reason for that person to be taken,” Freda said. “I mean, these are all people who are going to their jobs. They’re going to work. None of them are criminals.”

“Princeton has always been a very welcoming place,” he said, noting that his Italian family immigrated to Princeton in the 1900s. But now, the town’s immigrant community is questioning its safety. 

After the raid, Freda called the regional ICE director, demanding further information. He said he was “surprised” by the raid because ICE had not visited Princeton since last summer, marking the first raid since the Trump administration took office. 

While Freda is working to resolve the issue, the town is considering its stance on the New Jersey Immigration Trust Act, which protects immigrants by limiting cooperation between federal and local authorities. 

During a recent town council meeting, Freda said, officials faced a significant backlash when 70 people came to advocate for a resolution supporting the act, but the debate turned unproductive.

Many of those supporting the act were not from Princeton. However, Freda explained, “other people in our immigrant community here in town have suggested to us that passing such a resolution would be counterproductive,” because it could possibly make Princeton more of a target for ICE raids.

He believes that the legislation is a state rather than a local matter. “We cannot protect people from ICE. We just can’t. It doesn’t matter what resolution we pass,” he said.

Freda said his administration does offer support through the town’s Human Services Department that provides an emergency expense fund and connects immigrants with legal services, but there is only so much assistance the town can provide.

“It doesn’t matter. We can’t until the federal things change at the federal level. All we can do is offer help,” Freda said.

In Princeton, Soaring Prices Push Residents Out

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By Claire B.

One million dollars, $3.4 million, $5.75 million. When turning onto streets in Princeton’s neighborhoods, admiring the houses and the cozy community, it’s hard to imagine that this is what it can cost to live there. According to United States Census data, 53.7 percent of houses in Princeton cost over $1 million.

“The average price of a residential home in Princeton last year was $1.4 million, unbelievable,” Princeton Mayor Mark Freda said in a press conference with the Princeton Summer Journal.  

The median household income in Princeton is $184,113, nearly double the median household income of New Jersey. But 6.8 percent of Princeton’s population lives in poverty, making the need for affordable housing a priority for Freda.

“The list of people for affordable housing units is thousands and thousands of people,” he said.

Once they’ve entered an affordable housing unit, residents continue to work in the hopes that they can save enough money to afford the next level of housing, like renting an apartment or a small townhouse. 

“But that level of housing is almost gone from Princeton, so if people have no place to go, they’re trapped in the affordable housing unit that they’re in,” Freda said. 

People looking to move out of affordable housing tend to move out of Princeton. The historically Black Witherspoon-Jackson neighborhood has lost a significant portion of its community as people leave in search of more affordable housing and a lower cost of living. 

Not only is Princeton struggling to provide more affordable housing, but it’s starting to lose its socioeconomic diversity as the lower middle class moves out of town. 

“We are trying to find a way to address that, but it’s really hard,” said Freda of the challenge of funding affordable housing. “The market works against us, there’s definitely no federal money, not for a few years at least, and there’s not a lot of state money right now either,” Freda said.

It’s not only people below the poverty line who can’t afford houses in Princeton. Even the town’s mayor would have trouble finding a house.

“If I were to buy a house here now, I couldn’t afford to buy a house,” Freda said. “So I’m the mayor, … [and] if I were to buy a house today, I’m guess[ing] I have to rent a place or go somewhere else.”