Father Of 4 Jailed In Essex County After ICE Arrest, Family Says

ESSEX COUNTY, NJ — The family of Jean Montrevil, a Haitian immigrant and father of four, says that they are worried the well-known community activist will be deported after being arrested by ICE agents and jailed in Essex County earlier this week.

According to his ex-wife, Jani Cauthen, ICE agents took Montrevil into custody outside his home in Far Rockaway, Queens, on Wednesday, then transported him to the Essex County Correctional Facility in Newark, which contracts to house federal ICE detainees.

Montrevil has four children, ages 27, 19, 14 and 10. His 14-year-old son, Jahsiah, is “sickly” and underwent brain surgery three years ago to remove a brain tumor. If the 49-year-old is deported, his daughter, Janiah, won’t be able to finish college, Cauthen told Patch.

Several civil rights groups and local community members corroborated the family’s statement on social media. Some asked activists to “pray for Jean and his family… and against inhumane immigration policies.”

Montrevil came to the U.S. from Haiti with a green card in 1986 at the age of 17. He’s since been active in the local civil rights community, and has gained a swell of support from pro-immigration advocates in New York and New Jersey.

Last June, Montrevil was detained, handcuffed and processed to be deported, until calls from his supporters apparently prompted his release. His latest arrest comes as the Trump administration said it is revoking a special immigration program for nearly 60,000 Haitians, DemocracyNow.org reported.

Patch has contacted ICE for comment on Montrevil’s alleged detention and immigration status, but has not received a reply. We will update this article with any response.

The Essex County Department of Corrections online inmate lookup database states that Montrevil was detained on Jan. 3. No information about the charges were available as of Friday.

“Our children are devastated that their dad was taken once again,” Cauthen said Friday. “We have been fighting for over 10 years to have his day in court. Jean is not a flight risk, nor is he involved in any illegal activities. Jean is nearly 50-years-old. He should not be deported for a mistake he made as a motherless teenager. He entered this country legally as green card holder and has stayed out of trouble.”

Cauthen said that Montrevil has no family in Haiti and wouldn’t have any support system if deported.

“His mom died when he was nine,” she said. “His dad was a U.S. citizen who died while Jean was in detention.”

• See related article: Deported NJ Parents Say Goodbye To Their 3 Children
• See related article: N.J. Immigrant And Grandpa Threatened With Deportation

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Photos of Jean Montrevil and family, courtesy of Jani Cauthen