ROBBINSVIILE Federal agents went to the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir Tuesday morning hours before a class action lawsuit was filed in federal court on behalf of nearly 200 Indian nationals who say they were paid $1.20 an hour for construction work.
FBI and Department of Homeland Security agents showed up at the temple on Main Street in Robbinsville off Route 130 before 8 a.m. The FBI told New Jersey 101.5 they were there for court authorized law enforcement activity.
The New York Times was first to report the visit was connected to the lawsuit filed Tuesday morning in U.S. District Court in New Jersey. According to the complaint, the workers were brought to the United States between 2018 and 2020 under false pretenses, their passports confiscated and forced to live in trailers inside a fenced, guarded compound. They could not leave the grounds on their own and were constantly threatened with arrest.
FBI agents, Homeland Security at Robbinsville Hindu temple
ROBBINSVILLE FBI and Department of Homeland Security agents descended Tuesday morning at a large Hindu temple.
Agents showed up at BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir on Main Street in before 8 a.m. and plan to be there the rest of the day, according to township spokesman John Nalbone.
He said Robbinsville police and the Mercer County Prosecutor s Office were not involved in the activity.
“The FBI is there on court authorized law enforcement activity. No further comment, FBI spokeswoman Doreen Holder told New Jersey 101.5 in an email.
The temple and its headquarters in Piscataway on Tuesday morning did not respond to New Jersey 101.5 s request for more comment.
FBI agents, Homeland Security at Robbinsville Hindu temple
ROBBINSVILLE FBI and Department of Homeland Security agents descended Tuesday morning at a large Hindu temple.
Agents showed up at BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir on Main Street in before 8 a.m. and plan to be there the rest of the day, according to township spokesman John Nalbone.
He said Robbinsville police and the Mercer County Prosecutor s Office were not involved in the activity.
“The FBI is there on court authorized law enforcement activity. No further comment, FBI spokeswoman Doreen Holder told New Jersey 101.5 in an email.
The temple and its headquarters in Piscataway on Tuesday morning did not respond to New Jersey 101.5 s request for more comment.