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Jhonatan B.C.: 18-year-old applying for green card detained in New Jersey warehouse raid

Jhonatan Bello Cabrera, 18, a Colombian seeking permanent residency through his U.S. citizen stepfather, was detained in a warehouse raid and freed in December on a $6,000 bond with an ankle monitor.

Oct 29, 2025Woodbridge, NJCountry of origin: Colombia

Jhonatan B.C.: 18-year-old applying for green card detained in New Jersey warehouse raid
Photo via El País

Jhonatan Bello Cabrera, an 18-year-old Colombian national, was detained during an immigration raid at the Savino del Bene warehouse in Woodbridge, New Jersey, while in the process of obtaining permanent residency through his U.S. citizen stepfather and legal permanent resident mother. He was transferred to detention facilities in New Jersey, Texas and Arizona before being released in December after posting a $6,000 bond and being fitted with an ankle monitor. His mother, Sandra Suero, said she never expected the arrest, calling him "a newly graduated kid, still a child."

“They asked me if I had a work permit. I showed it to them. I told them I was in the process of getting residency and they checked it on a computer and took the permit away. They asked where my personal things were and then they handcuffed me and took me out,”
— Jhonatan
“The operation was large. They came with long guns — the military, the police, and ICE — and surrounded the place. Even a helicopter. They climbed onto the roofs. They wouldn't let anyone leave. They arrived with wall-scanning devices and with dogs that went through every area, searching for people,”
— Sandra Suero
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