NJ Budget: $2.1 Million Set Aside For Assisting Immigrants

Gov Phil Murphy is set to do battle with the Trump administration over immigration, and a good chunk of the New Jersey $37.4 billion budget will pay for it.

The Murphy administration says the recently passed state budget allocates $2.1 million in funding toward expanding legal services for individuals who are detained or facing deportation.

Murphy's press secretary, Dan Bryan, said Murphy "believes that immigrants are a vital part of the fabric of New Jersey and the country as a whole," and that the money will help pay to fight the Trump administration's hardline immigration policy that has broken up many families.

Trump recently modified his policy of separating children from their families at the border with Mexico, but a number of New Jersey families have been split up after a father or mother has been detained and deported.

"The governor understands the importance of keeping families together, allowing talented New Jersey residents to continue contributing to our society, and defending our immigrants from wrongful targeting from the federal government,” Bryan said.

The money drew a rebuke from Murphy's Republican critics, who said the governor has "padded the state’s new budget with millions in pet projects for Democrat initiatives" while possibly taking money away from school districts.

“During the entire budget negotiation process Democrats never discussed spending cuts. Not once,” said state Sen. Jim Holzapfel, R-Ocean, . “They fought over which taxes they wanted to increase, and now that the budget has been signed we are seeing for the first time millions of dollars earmarked for Democrat pet projects. The people of New Jersey and my district cannot afford these handouts.”

Noting the $37.4 billion budget is 7.8 percent bigger than last year, Holzapfel targeted the governor's tax hikes and $2.1 million for legal assistance to undocumented immigrants facing deportation in his criticism.

“It’s Christmas in July once again in Trenton,” said Assemblymen Dave Wolfe, R-Ocean. “The governor is handing out expensive gifts for a number of Democrat interests at the expense of suburban taxpayers.

"Among other things, he’s spending $2.1 million on legal aid for undocumented immigrants facing deportation while massively underfunding our schools in Brick and Toms River. What a kick in the teeth to our law-abiding taxpayers, students and teachers. It’s utterly irresponsible and unconscionable.”

It was not immediately clear how this agreement would impact school funding, but Senate President Steve Sweeney said it will put New Jersey "on the road" toward reaching his objective of "fully funding" school districts, while cutting funding from others.

The Murphy administration said the budget includes "the means to implement Senate President Sweeney's modernization of the school funding formula." Read more: 188 School Districts May Have To Raise Taxes To Stop NJ Shutdown

Immigration advocates, meanwhile, applauded the governor for take a stance "to protect our families and to make sure we don’t have to fight deportation alone," said Olga Armas, member leader of Make the Road New Jersey.

"We thank Governor Murphy and the New Jersey State Legislature for this key first step. As an immigrant mother of three daughters, tonight I’ll rest easier knowing that immigrant families like mine will have a fair day in court,” said

Farrin Anello, senior immigration attorney of the ACLU of New Jersey, said deportation separates families and can be a "death sentence for refugees fleeing persecution or torture."

"In the face of increasingly abusive federal immigration enforcement tactics, New Jersey is taking a groundbreaking first step toward ensuring that no one is forced to defend their life or their family without a lawyer standing beside them,” he said.

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