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ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations in Newark took Ming Xi Zhang into custody on March 24, according to a statement from immigration officials put out last month. Zhang remains detained in ICE custody, the agency said in a statement.
“Any illegal alien conducting activities related to espionage, sabotage or export control against the United States is subject to deportation,” said ICE Newark Field Office Director John Tsoukaris.
Zhang’s arrest follows broader federal immigration enforcement efforts under President Donald Trump.
Zhang, who entered the U.S. legally in 2000 at Los Angeles International Airport, was later found to have violated the terms of his lawful admission, ICE said.
According to the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey, Zhang was convicted in 2024 for illegally acting as an agent of a foreign government without notifying the Attorney General. He was sentenced on April 30, 2024, to three years of probation.
Zhang is the owner of Ya Ya Noodles, a popular restaurant in Montgomery Township, according to NJ Advance Media. He is also known to many in the community as “Sushi John.”
According to its website, Ya Ya Noodles is a BYOB Asian restaurant located in the Montgomery Shopping Center in Skillman, offering Chinese, Thai, and Japanese cuisine made with fresh ingredients and traditional recipes. The restaurant also provides catering and private banquet services for business lunches, parties, and other occasions.
NJ Advance Media spoke with Zhang’s daughter, Emily Zhang, who said the family has received an outpouring of local support from customers, but declined to comment further on her father's case.
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