The mayors from New Jersey’s two largest cities say the state needs to take a more forceful political stance against cooperating with federal immigration agents, arguing that avoiding confrontation with the Trump administration will do little to shield their communities.
Newark Mayor Ras Baraka and Jersey City Mayor James Solomon are both advocating for state lawmakers to pass legislation limiting how much state officials and local police can cooperate with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents.
“Obviously we can’t stop ICE from deploying in New Jersey, but we can do everything in our power to prevent state and local government from cooperating,” Solomon said.
Videos on social media showed ICE agents detaining people near the Jersey City and Hoboken border over the weekend. When questioned by a Jersey City councilman, an ICE agent said, “We don’t need a warrant, bro,” according to one video.
Baraka and Solomon have both called for the state Legislature and Gov. Mikie Sherrill to pass two ICE-related pieces of legislation that former Gov. Phil Murphy vetoed in the hours before he left office last month.
One bill would have restricted state agencies from sharing immigration information with ICE. The other bill would have turned New Jersey’s current Immigrant Trust Directive — a policy that forbids local police from cooperating with ICE on most civil enforcement cases — into a law.
Murphy signed a third piece of legislation that will create safe zones in schools, churches and hospitals where ICE is forbidden from conducting operations.
“If I would have been governor, I would have signed all three,” Solomon said, referring to the three pieces of legislation.
Because Murphy vetoed the bills, the legislation must be reapproved by the state Legislature and sent to Gov. Mikie Sherrill for her signature to become law.
Baraka called on lawmakers to approve the legislation and be more bold in standing up to ICE.
“They’re hiding and being fearful and playing moderate. That is the wrong answer,” Baraka said.
When asked to comment, U.S. Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said ICE agents were in Jersey City on Sunday making arrests after notifying local police.
“ICE conducted a targeted immigration enforcement operation in Jersey City, New Jersey, to arrest 10 illegal aliens including multiple illegal aliens who committed felonies by illegally re-entering the U.S.,” McLaughlin said.
“All ten illegal aliens will remain in ICE custody pending removal,” she said. “Under President Trump and Secretary Noem, if you break the law, you will face the consequences. Criminal illegal aliens are not welcome in the U.S.”
Solomon recently announced a new policy in Jersey City that prevents ICE from using city-owned parking lots, garages and parks to set up operations.
Solomon criticized ICE for conducting operations in Jersey City over the weekend.
“We condemn what we saw, the videos are disturbing and they show what appears to be just people on their way to work being detained,” Solomon said in a social media video on Instagram. “That makes us less safe.”
Baraka has been traveling around North Jersey with Analilia Mejia, one of several candidates running in Thursday’s primary to replace Gov. Mikie Sherrill in her former seat in New Jersey’s 11th Congressional District Mejia supports abolishing ICE.
Baraka said fear of federal retaliation should not dictate state policy on ICE.
“People are fearful that we’re going to be targeted. We’re going to be targeted anyway,” Baraka said. “We might as well protect ourselves before it actually goes on.”
He argued as a Democratic state, a political confrontation with President Donald Trump over immigration is inevitable.
“There’s nowhere to hide,” Baraka said.
As the statewide debate intensifies, Sherrill has been making frequent media appearances, often referring to ICE as a “militia.”
The new governor has expressed support for passing legislation that would turn the state’s Immigrant Trust Directive into a law. But she has not commented on a separate bill that would prevent state agencies and hospitals from sharing immigration-related data with ICE.