New Jersey Transit has suspended an employee who reportedly made a false announcement that Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents were on the train “looking for illegals” and other criminals.
“NJ TRANSIT has taken swift action by immediately suspending, without pay, the crew member who made the alleged train announcement pending the outcome of full investigation,” the agency posted on Twitter Monday.
The tweet added that NJ Transit “will not tolerate such reprehensible conduct which stands in direct contrast with our agency’s culture.”
Several people who were reportedly on the train Monday morning sent tweets to NJ Transit asking about the announcement, which reportedly happened on a train bound for New York Penn Station on the North Jersey Coast Line that left Bay Head.
Sen. Bob Menendez says that his office is looking into the incident.
“If true, this would be outrageous racial profiling that is unAmerican and makes us less safe,” the senator tweeted.
NJ Transit says that there was no ICE operation on the train.
A spokesman for the Newark office of ICE said agents conduct targeted enforcement of criminals and would have had to have been in pursuit of such a person to board public transportation.
The Associated Press wire services contributed to this report.