Bloomfield Mayor Speaks About Trump Ban, Sanctuary City Status

BLOOMFIELD, NJ — Bloomfield Mayor Michael Venezia has joined a growing chorus of North Jersey voices that oppose President Trump’s recent executive order to halt immigration from several countries in the name of stopping terrorism.

Trump’s executive order bans immigrants from several countries - Iraq, Syria, Iran, Sudan, Libya, Somalia and Yemen - from entering the United States for 90 days. The order, which also halted the U.S. refugee program for 120-days, is aimed at stopping “radical Islamic terrorists,” Trump has said.

Protests across the nation have been erupting in the wake of the order, with many activists decrying it as a violation of human rights.

• See related article: North Jersey Protests Trump’s Immigration Ban [VIDEOS, PHOTOS]

On Tuesday, Bloomfield’s mayor posted a statement about the ban on Facebook.

The text of the statement follows.

“I'm sure you have heard about President Trump's recent immigration executive orders and you may be wondering what they mean for #BloomfieldNJ, particularly on the question of Sanctuary Cities. Here in New Jersey, the term does not apply like it does elsewhere, because all local police departments follow the same guidelines from the NJ Attorney General that say only people arrested for indictable offenses are to be checked for immigration status. This means that if an undocumented immigrant is charged with a serious felony he or she will be reported to the federal government. But it also means that people charged with minor criminal offenses or traffic violations, or people who are victims of crime or witnesses who are undocumented do not need to fear deportation and can interact with law enforcement without fear.

“In order to keep our community safe, residents need to trust the police and feel like they can go to them to report crime without fear. That's why policies like this one are so important, because they send a message to residents that they don't need to stay in the shadows here in Bloomfield.

“Bloomfield is a welcoming community and diversity is one of our best assets. People from many different cultures come together here to live and raise their children, and all of them should feel valued and respected. That is why the current political atmosphere and rhetoric is so troubling. Please know that our local government believes firmly that everyone deserves a chance to make a life here and we will do everything in our power and under the law to protect our residents.”

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