New Jersey Joins ‘Dreamer’ Lawsuit Against Trump

Get ready, President Trump. New Jersey’s coming after you with a DACA-inspired lawsuit.

On Wednesday, during a press conference to welcome the state’s first Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipient to the New Jersey Bar, Governor Phil Murphy announced that the Garden State will be filing a motion to join New York and 15 other states in a lawsuit aimed at President Trump and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

The lawsuit, New York v. Trump, is an attempt to combat any federal changes that could negatively impact “Dreamers” around the country, Murphy’s office said.

“New Jersey will stand with our 22,000 Dreamers and not allow for the hypocrisy of the Trump administration’s policies to strip away the rights of our residents,” Murphy said. “Our participation in this lawsuit lets our Dreamers know that a road forward for them will always exist in New Jersey… President Trump and the administration need a clear message that we will continue to stand with our immigrant families.”

• See related article: From DACA To Lawyer (New Jersey Bar Admits 1st 'Dreamer')

By signing on to the lawsuit, New Jersey joins New York, Massachusetts, Washington, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Virginia.

New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman initiated the lawsuit in September. (Read the full civil complaint here)

“This ceremony comes at a time of increasing uncertainty and chaos for our Dreamers,” Murphy said. “But Dreamers… are just as American as anyone in this state and they should not feel like the federal government is working against them.”

Murphy said that DACA recipients have “infinite potential” and it would be an enormous injustice to push them out of the only country they have ever known.

“If the Trump administration fails to take the necessary action to protect our Dreamers, it would prevent some of the best and brightest this country has to offer from living their dreams and contributing to our society,” Murphy said.

• See related article: This Lawyer Used To Deport Immigrants; Now She Defends Them
• See related article: Meet This 'Dreamer' From New Jersey

New Jersey Attorney General Gurbir Grewal, who recently became the first Sikh-American AG in the history of the United States, said that his office will be joining other like-minded states on litigation to combat what they believe are “unlawful violations” of the rights of immigrants.

“We need to make sure that the protections afforded to DACA recipients are preserved,” Grewal emphasized.

The New Jersey Alliance for Immigrant Justice (NJAIJ) supported the decision to join the lawsuit against Trump. About 22,000 Garden State residents have benefited from the DACA program, the group said.

“These young immigrants call New Jersey their home and their lives have been thrown into chaos and uncertainty since the Trump Administration’s decision to terminate the program,” NJAIJ Director Johanna Calle said. “We applaud Governor Murphy and Attorney General Grewal for joining the fight against the Trump Administration’s ruthless and xenophobic attacks on our communities.”

Murphy’s office said in a news release that the lack of a federal decision on DACA program was one of the primary causes of the shutdown that halted federal government operations over the weekend.

• See related article: Trump Signs Short-Term Funding Bill To Reopen Government

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