Stand by JERSEY KEBAB & the Emanet Family

I’ve been asked by the Emanet family to set up a GoFundMe to help cover legal fees and support income while Jersey Kebab remains closed.

During the morning hours of Tuesday, February 25, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) warrantlessly picked up members of the Emanet family, Celal and Emine Emanet, from Jersey Kebab, located at 150 Haddon Avenue, Haddon Township, NJ 08108.

The Emanet family has an open case with United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and has been waiting since 2016 for a decision on their case. USCIS has not decided whether to approve or deny their green card application for the past 9 years. While waiting for their case to be decided upon, Celal and Emine Emanet were left without a status.

They are contributing members of society and taxpayers with a five-year valid business license. Celal and Emine own and operate Jersey Kebab, a beloved Mediterranean restaurant across from the Haddon Township Municipality and Police building. The husband-and-wife pair own and manage the restaurant together, a hub for the community, and regularly feed underprivileged members of the community - the sign on the door stating, “Free to anyone with a disability, homeless, or simply cannot afford it.” The couple start prep work together at 9 am and close up shop at 8:30 pm.

At the end of the night, Celal and Emine come back home where they live with their four children (Muhammed, Zeynep, Hamza, Hale), daughter-in-law (Hale), two grandchildren (Ali and Omer), and two cats (Oreo and Almond). Muhammed (25), the manager at Jersey Kebab, who attended Rutgers-Camden, is a husband and father to two children. Zeynep (23) is a Swarthmore College graduate and works at a local civil rights nonprofit organization. Their younger son, Hamza (15), and younger daughter, Hale (13), cannot imagine life without mom and dad together.

While Celal has been released from custody with an ankle monitor, Emine has been placed into the Elizabeth Detention Center in Elizabeth, New Jersey, awaiting her bond trial. This situation is especially devastating for their 15-year-old son, Hamza, who has autism.

Deporting Emine would cause Hamza immense distress, as he only speaks limited Turkish and relies on the specialized services available to him here in New Jersey. Uprooting him from this support system would have severe consequences for his well-being.

Emine is not a flight risk - she is a mother, community member, and neighbor. Neither Celal nor Emine have criminal records or prior orders of removal by an immigration judge. She needs to be released on bond so she can return home. Until she is released, the restaurant, which is their main source of income, is closed. So please help out any way you can.