MAPLEWOOD, NJ — Maplewood recently passed two ordinances that limit local cooperation with ICE, becoming the latest Essex County town to roll out such protections.
The township committee approved the Maplewood Immigrant Trust Act during their meeting on July 7. The committee also greenlighted a separate ordinance that defines what properties are included in the law.
Under the new ordinance, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and other federal immigration authorities are prohibited from conducting enforcement raids and operations on township-owned property without a court warrant. Federal authorities are also prevented from accessing municipal databases unless they have a warrant.
Maplewood town staff and police cannot aid federal immigration agents beyond what is legally required.
View the full ordinance online here.
Maplewood's new rules are modeled after the state's existing Immigrant Trust Directive, which was issued in 2018.
In the following video, the Maplewood Town Committee discusses and votes on the Maplewood Immigrant Trust Act at their July 7 meeting (article continues below):
IMMIGRANT 'SANCTUARY' IN NORTH JERSEY
Other towns and cities in Essex County have rolled out their own local regulations over the past year, including Bloomfield, which got a visit from ICE agents in June.
The agents were advised of the town's policy and left the property without delay, the town's mayor said.
Last year, the U.S. Justice Department sued four New Jersey cities – Hoboken, Jersey City, Newark and Paterson – in an attempt to strike down their sanctuary city policies.
However, a U.S. District judge recently ruled that the Trump administration doesn't have the legal footing to carry out its threats. The judge pointed to New Jersey's existing Immigrant Trust Directive, which is nearly identical to the sanctuary policies in Hoboken, Jersey City, Newark and Paterson – and has been successfully defended in court multiple times.
Federal authorities continue to criticize local "sanctuary" policies, however – including in Essex County.
Earlier this year, the Essex County Board of County Commissioners unanimously passed an "ICE Out of Essex County" resolution. It was officially implemented on July 9.
The new rules prohibit U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) from operating on non-public areas of Essex County properties without a judicial warrant or court order. They also prohibit using county resources to assist with civil immigration enforcement.
Last week, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security released a statement that criticizes the county's new rules.
According to federal spokespeople, the resolution will impair ICE's ability to transfer detainees from the Essex County Correctional Facility in Newark, the largest county-run prison in the state.
"When sanctuary politicians refuse to cooperate with ICE law enforcement, they put the safety of the public and our officers at risk," acting assistant secretary Lauren Bis said. "Sanctuary policies like this make New Jersey communities less safe."
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