South Jersey Kebab Shop Owners Detained, Community Rallies

Deportation still looms for Turkish couple despite outpouring of local support

Published on Feb. 5, 2026

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The detention of a Turkish couple who own a popular kebab shop in a New Jersey suburb of Philadelphia has sparked an outpouring of community support and protest against immigration crackdowns. Celal and Emine Emanet, who came to the U.S. seeking freedom and built a successful restaurant business, were arrested by federal agents in February 2026, with Emine held in detention for 15 days. The arrests galvanized the local community, leading to a vigil, fundraising efforts, and letters of support from hundreds of customers. However, the family still faces the threat of deportation.

Why it matters

The detention of the Emanets, who were described as 'not dangerous people,' signaled to many in the heavily Democratic area that immigration enforcement under the Trump administration was targeting even law-abiding immigrants. The community's strong response highlights growing concerns about the impacts of aggressive immigration policies on immigrant-owned businesses and families.

The details

Celal Emanet, 52, first came to the U.S. in 2000 to learn English while pursuing a doctorate in Islamic history. He returned in 2008 to serve as an imam at a southern New Jersey mosque, bringing his wife Emine and their first two children. The couple later had two more children born in the U.S. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, they opened the successful Jersey Kebab restaurant. But on February 25, 2026, U.S. marshals and Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers arrested the couple at the restaurant, with Celal placed on an ankle monitor and Emine held in detention for 15 days.

  • Celal Emanet first came to the U.S. in 2000.
  • Celal and Emine Emanet moved to the U.S. in 2008.
  • The Emanets opened Jersey Kebab during the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • Celal and Emine Emanet were arrested at their restaurant on February 25, 2026.
  • Emine Emanet was held in detention for 15 days.

The players

Celal Emanet

A 52-year-old Turkish immigrant who came to the U.S. in 2000 to learn English and later returned in 2008 to serve as an imam at a southern New Jersey mosque. He and his wife Emine later opened the successful Jersey Kebab restaurant.

Emine Emanet

Celal Emanet's wife, who came to the U.S. with her husband and their children in 2008. She was held in detention for 15 days after the couple was arrested at their restaurant.

Randy Teague

The mayor of Haddon Township, New Jersey, who expressed that the Emanets were 'not dangerous people' and that the arrests signaled immigration enforcement was targeting even law-abiding immigrants.

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What they’re saying

“They were not dangerous people — not the type of people we were told on TV they were looking to remove from our country.”

— Randy Teague, Mayor of Haddon Township (whyy.org)

What’s next

The Emanet family still faces the threat of deportation, despite the outpouring of community support and efforts by members of Congress to intervene on their behalf.

The takeaway

The detention of the Emanets, a law-abiding immigrant family running a successful local business, has become a rallying cry against aggressive immigration enforcement policies that target even non-criminal immigrants. The community's response highlights the human impact of these policies on immigrant communities and the importance of standing up for immigrant rights.