ICE Nazi comparisons condemned by NJ councilwoman Anita Greenberg-Belli

A New Jersey county councilman strongly defended Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) during a heated public meeting, criticizing destructive protests and condemning comparisons of federal agents to Nazis as ignorant and historically offensive.

Old Bridge Township councilwoman Anita Greenberg-Belli made the remarks at the Jan. 27 council meeting, where residents discussed immigration enforcement, local police cooperation with federal authorities and protests targeting ICE operations across the country.

“We have to recognize that ICE is not the problem,” Greenberg-Belli said. “There are people demonizing them as they go about their business trying to be safe.”

Greenberg-Belli argued that restricting cooperation between local police and ICE forces federal agents to make arrests in neighborhoods rather than controlled environments such as police stations, endangering officers, families and communities. When local law enforcement is allowed to coordinate with federal authorities, suspects can be safely transported without the need for agents to go door to door, reducing the likelihood of conflict and minimizing risks to bystanders, he said.

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“When local police are told they can’t work with ICE… that’s where it all breaks down,” Greenberg-Belli said.

The council member also criticized protesters who crossed the line from peaceful demonstration to mayhem, arguing that intervening in enforcement actions escalated tensions and put lives at risk.

“When you go out and protest like that, protesting peacefully is one thing, disrupting order is another,” he said.

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Greenberg-Belli also condemned the language of blame used by activists, saying immigration enforcement “has no comparison with the Holocaust.” (Yuki Iwamura/AP Photo)

Greenberg-Belli also condemned protesters and public officials who compared ICE agents to Nazis, saying the rhetoric was offensive and historically inaccurate, especially since there were references to Holocaust commemorations during the meeting.

“This has no comparison to the Holocaust,” Greenberg-Belli said. “When you use that word and call these people Nazis and fascists, it just shows your ignorance. So please stop.”

He compared immigration enforcement to the persecution of Jews during World War II, noting that Holocaust victims were deprived of their rights, property, and freedom before being killed, while people facing immigration enforcement retained legal options.

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Greenberg-Belli also expressed concern about the broader impacts of illegal immigration. (Kerem Yücel/AFP via Getty Images)

Greenberg-Belli also expressed concerns about the broader impacts of illegal immigration, including financial costs, fraud and election integrity, arguing that the problem affects communities across the country.

“I don’t like anyone getting hurt. I don’t like anyone hurting themselves. And unfortunately that happened and it needs to stop,” Greenberg-Belli said. he said.

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“But you can’t call people who work for the federal government, state or local government, who are doing their job, Nazis when they’re doing their job of protecting communities,” he added.

Fox News Digital has reached out to Greenberg-Belli for additional comment on the matter.