Newark Hosts Diwali at Branch Brook Park as Indian Nationals Face Deportation at Airport
Newark invited residents to celebrate Diwali at Branch Brook Park's Cherry Blossom Welcome Center in October 2025, offering the city's diverse population an evening of Indian cultural celebration. Separately, two immigration enforcement actions involving Indian nationals drew attention, with one individual removed to India over criminal charges and another detained at Newark Airport for disruptive behavior and ordered deported.
🪔 Newark City Hosts Free Diwali Celebration at Branch Brook Park
Newark city officials announced a Diwali celebration at the Cherry Blossom Welcome Center in Branch Brook Park, scheduled for Saturday, October 18, 2025, from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. The event, reported by RLS Media journalist Richard L. Smith, was described as featuring festive food, cultural performances, and family-friendly activities in honor of the Hindu festival. Admission was free and open to all Newark residents and visitors. Diwali, often called the Festival of Lights, is described in the article as one of the most important holidays in Indian culture, symbolizing the triumph of light over darkness and good over evil. Families traditionally celebrate by lighting lamps, exchanging gifts, and sharing meals. City officials quoted in the announcement stated that the event was about more than entertainment, describing it as a recognition of Newark's diversity and the shared values of joy, light, and community. The city encouraged everyone to attend and experience the cultural performances and welcoming atmosphere. Contact for the event was listed as Josephine C. Garcia at 973-391-3054. [3]
Indian National Wanted for Murder and Extortion Removed from US
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced the removal from the United States of an Indian national who is wanted in India on charges of attempted murder and extortion. The case was documented in a press release archived on the ICE website, the official platform of the federal agency that conducts immigration enforcement and removal operations. The press release, accessible through the ICE newsroom, describes the subject as an Indian citizen who was removed from the United States and returned to India, where law enforcement authorities had sought the individual for the alleged offenses of attempted murder and extortion. ICE's website, hosted at ice.gov, is a .gov domain under the U.S. government and includes sections on enforcement and removal operations, detention facilities, and deportation procedures. The agency provides a public tip line at 1-866-DHS-2-ICE for reporting suspicious activity. The archived status of the press release indicates the enforcement action was documented as a completed removal by the agency at the time of publication. [1]
Indian National Detained at Newark Airport for Unruly Behavior, Deportation Ordered
An Indian national was detained at Newark Airport for unruly behavior, with deportation subsequently ordered, according to a report by News On AIR, the official digital news service of India's public broadcaster. The incident was covered under the headline 'Indian National Detained at Newark Airport for Unruly Behaviour, Deportation Ordered.' News On AIR is operated by Prasar Bharati, India's public broadcasting organization, and its site features content in multiple Indian languages including Hindi, Marathi, Gujarati, Urdu, Dogri, Assamese, Rajasthani, and Bengali in addition to English. The publication maintains a Whatsapp channel for news distribution. The site logo links to 'Akhashvani,' the Hindi name for All India Radio, affirming News On AIR's identity as the digital arm of India's national broadcaster and indicating its role as an authoritative Indian government-aligned source. The deportation order issued in the Newark Airport case made it a notable immigration enforcement incident involving an Indian citizen at one of the United States' major international entry points. [2]
Sources: [3] RLS Media · [1] ICE | U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (.gov) · [2] News On AIR