Newark Protests Trump, Mayor Says City Will Protect Undocumented Immigrants

NEWARK, NJ — Public protests and criticism of President-elect Donald Trump is growing in Essex County, including the county’s most populous city, Newark.

Dozens of large, anti-Trump protests have been reported across the nation since his surprising election day win over Hillary Clinton, including a massive action planned for downtown Washington D.C. on Inauguration Day, Jan. 20.

• See related article: Massive Anti-Trump Protest Planned for Inauguration Day in DC

In Newark, a group of protesters marched from Rutgers University to City Hall and Newark Penn Station on Saturday, marshaling around 150 people at their peak, NJ News 12 reported.

Newark Mayor Ras Baraka echoed the protesters’ sentiments on Monday when he promised that the city would continue its policy of protecting undocumented immigrants from deportation by U.S. immigration authorities.

“Despite the election of Donald Trump, we see no reason to change that policy,” Baraka stated in a city news release. “Together with New York and Los Angeles, we do not hold undocumented inmates in jail at the request of the U.S. Department of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) unless the detainer request is accompanied by a judge's order. Undocumented immigrants who are arrested by the Newark Police Division for criminal activity continue to be subject to the law the same as criminal suspects who are American citizens.”

Baraka said that Newark will not “sacrifice thousands of people who live among us” or “tear families apart.”

"In Newark, we comply with federal immigration agencies, but insist that detainer requests be handled constitutionally,” Baraka said. “I hope that no president would violate those principles, the very foundation of our nation, by taking punitive action against cities that are simply protecting the well-being of residents.”

• See related article: ICE Immigrant Detainee Dies In Newark As Prisoner Death Toll Increases

The Newark-based ACLU of New Jersey wrote that it planned to “remain vigilant” during every day of the Trump presidency.

“President-elect Trump, as you assume the nation’s highest office, we urge you to reconsider and change course on certain campaign promises you have made,” ACLU-NJ leaders stated. “These include your plan to amass a deportation force to remove 11 million undocumented immigrants; ban the entry of Muslims into our country and aggressively surveil them; punish women for accessing abortion; reauthorize waterboarding and other forms of torture; and change our nation’s libel laws and restrict freedom of expression.”

• See related article: Election 2016: Essex County Reacts To Trump Victory, Clinton Defeat

Other Essex County residents and local organizations have mourned Clinton’s defeat and expressed fear of a Trump presidency following the Nov. 8 election.

“Our community is hurting today and wondering how we go forward from here,” the Maplewood-based North Jersey Pride group wrote. “We will get through this.”

• See related article: Racial Slurs May Have Led To N.J. 'Trump Shirt' Attack
• See related article: Essex County Mayors Among Those Calling For Trump Boycott: Muslim Ban Would Be 'Un-American'

Send local news tips, photos and press releases to eric.kiefer@patch.com

Photo: Tracie Koehnlein‎, Facebook