Trump Targets Sanctuary Cities, NJ Immigrants Fight Back

NEW JERSEY — If President Donald Trump wants to target “sanctuary cities” as part of his plan to carry out one of the largest deportation campaigns in U.S. history, he’ll have a fight on his hands in New Jersey, advocates say.

Trump was sworn in as the 47th president on Monday after overcoming impeachments, criminal indictments and two assassination attempts.

Although New Jersey voters cast more ballots for Kamala Harris, it was a close race in a state that traditionally skews blue. See Related: 5 NJ Counties Flip Red In Trump Vs. Harris Race (See Breakdown)

As part of his campaign platform, Trump vowed to immediately launch a nationwide immigration crackdown, including in sanctuary cities that refuse to cooperate with federal agencies.

Several municipalities in New Jersey have declared “sanctuary” status, including the state’s largest city, Newark.

Meanwhile, as the countdown to inauguration day continued, immigrant rights groups in New Jersey began putting up red flags about the impact that mass deportations would have across the state. Read More: NJ Immigrants Need More Protection From Trump, Activists Tell Governor

According to the New Jersey Alliance for Immigrant Justice (NJAIJ), the state’s largest immigration coalition, Trump and his supporters are leading people on a wild goose chase by playing on their fears:

“Even though the rate at which undocumented immigrants are arrested for committing crimes is far below that of native-born citizens, advocates expect the administration will continue to use rare, sensationalized criminal cases emboldening anti-immigrant narratives to justify large-scale sweeps and workplace raids that result in the collateral arrests of bystanders.”

Immigrant rights groups in New Jersey have also criticized former president Joe Biden for his national policies in the past.

• See Related: NJ Activists Say Biden’s Playbook On Immigration Is Similar To Trump’s
• See Related: New Jersey Immigrant Advocates Bash Biden’s Budget Proposal

TRUMP’S FIRST DAY

Trump’s administration didn’t waste any time making its first moves. On his first day in office, the White House announced a sweeping wave of presidential actions and executive orders, including several involving immigration.

“Over the last four years, the United States has endured a large-scale invasion at an unprecedented level,” the Trump administration said. “Millions of illegal aliens from nations and regions all around the world successfully entered the United States where they are now residing.”

“This cannot stand,” the president continued. “A nation without borders is not a nation, and the federal government must act with urgency and strength to end the threats posed by an unsecured border.”

Some of Trump’s latest announcements include:

• BORDER EMERGENCY – “Declaring a national emergency at the Southern border of the United States”
• MIGRANTS – “Realigning the United States Refugee Admissions Program”
• BIRTHRIGHT CITIZENSHIP – “Protecting the meaning and value of American citizenship”
• THE WALL – “Securing our borders”
• LAW ENFORCEMENT – “Protecting the American people against invasion”
• SCREENINGS – “Protecting the United States from foreign terrorists and other national security and public safety threats”
• TERRORISM – “Designating cartels and other organizations as foreign terrorist organizations and specially designated global terrorists”
• SOVEREIGNTY – “Guaranteeing the states protection against invasion”

A major immigration sweep took place in North Jersey the week before Trump’s inauguration, with U.S. Immigration and Customs and Enforcement (ICE) officers in Newark arresting 33 non-citizens who have committed or been accused of crimes.

ICE officers said they targeted “noncitizens” who had felonies or misdemeanors for domestic violence, sexual abuse or exploitation, burglary, unlawful possession or use of a firearm, drug distribution or trafficking, and driving under the influence. Officers also targeted noncitizens with an executable final order of removal who have re-entered the U.S. illegally after having been previously removed, authorities said.

• See Related: Newark ICE Office Makes 33 Arrests, Deportations Loom

NJ ACTIVISTS: ‘IMMIGRANTS ARE HERE TO STAY’

Gov. Phil Murphy has gone on record that his administration will “fight like hell” and “fight to the death” against mass deportations under Trump’s second term.

Many Garden State activists insist more needs to be done, however.

After Trump’s first day in office, the New Jersey Alliance for Immigrant Justice (NJAIJ) – which has been helping to spearhead the resistance effort in the Garden State – launched a “Know Your Rights” campaign in nearly two dozen cities and towns.

Outreach has been taking place in municipalities including Newark, Jersey City, Passaic, Hackensack, Perth Amboy, Kearny, Paterson, Trenton, New Brunswick, Elizabeth, Plainfield, Garfield, Union City, Bayonne, Linden, Clifton, East Orange, Sayreville, West New York and Fort Lee.

“Advocates have warned for months that the Trump Administration would make good of campaign promises to enact mass detentions and deportations on Day 1,” the coalition wrote. “In his inaugural address, Trump doubled-down on those pledges, declaring a national emergency at the Southern border with intentions to mobilize military resources and personnel without congressional approval, and reinstate the ‘Remain in Mexico’ policy.”

Trump also indicated plans to invoke the Alien Enemies Act of 1798, allowing state and local law enforcement to cooperate with federal immigration authorities, the coalition added.

These announcements follow Friday’s announcement of the DACA ruling that suspends the program for new registrants and puts existing recipients in further uncertainty as their renewals are temporarily allowed to continue, advocates said.

“Today is a somber day for millions of immigrants as the new administration takes the oath and pledges to continue its plan for mass deportation,” said Nedia Morsy, deputy director of Make the Road NJ – one of the coalition’s member groups.

“We want to make it clear: New Jersey immigrants are here to stay,” Morsy said. “Our communities have been tested before, and we’ve emerged stronger.”

The group has been among the advocates pushing state lawmakers to pass the Immigrant Trust Act, a bill that would limit New Jersey’s involvement in the federal detention and deportation system.

Another immigrant rights group, the Council on American-Islamic Relations of New Jersey, has also been rallying for the proposed state law.

“Gov. Murphy must act boldly to pass this legislation and demonstrate that New Jersey will not stand by as federal policies tear apart families and communities,” said Nancy Elbassiouny, the nonprofit’s government affairs manager.

“Words of solidarity are not enough,” Elbassiouny urged. “Action is needed now.”

Activists have pointed to a proposed federal law – the Laken Riley Act – as an example of the urgency of the situation. According to Make the Road New Jersey:

“If passed, the Laken Riley Act would be one of the most anti-immigrant legislation to pass in decades. It would subject immigrants, including ‘Dreamers,’ to mandatory detention without due process even for the most minor charges or accusations and will disproportionately harm Black and Brown communities already subject to racial profiling and over-policing. For example, if an individual is accused, not even convicted, of shoplifting a stick of gum or pack of diapers would lead to mandatory detention under the law.”

On the first House vote on Jan. 7, all members of New Jersey’s Congressional delegation voted “no,” except Chris Smith, Jeff Van Drew and Tom Kean Jr., who supported the bill, and Mikie Sherrill and Josh Gottheimer, who were both not present to vote. Gottheimer had previously supported the legislation.

The U.S. Senate voted 64-35 in favor of the bill on Monday, although New Jersey’s two U.S. senators – Cory Booker and Andy Kim – each voted “no.”

“Make no mistake, Congress must take actions that make our communities safer,” Booker said. “But this bill will make us less safe.”

“As written, the bill mandates the indefinite detention of any noncitizen of any age for even the most minor of infractions – even if charges are dropped and even if the subject is a child,” Booker said. “This will command billions of taxpayer dollars to be used in ways that countless law enforcement officials agree is a waste.”

Booker also said the proposed law would open the door to “awful abuses,” serving as an invitation for domestic abusers, corrupt employers and vigilante neighbors to threaten and falsely accuse undocumented people.

• See Related: NJ Businesses That ‘Threaten’ Immigrant Workers Will Face Penalties

Kim – whose parents immigrated from Korea – said the bill is unconstitutional.

“No doubt our immigration system is broken and the American people deserve bipartisan action, but this bill’s requirement for mandatory detention without bond for people including children accused but not convicted of non-violent misdemeanors like shoplifting goes against our Constitution,” he said.

“We owe every American action, and there is a lot that we can do that would be in line with our Constitution that we should focus on,” Kim added.

Another of Trump’s presidential actions – his attack on “birthright citizenship” – is being challenged in New Jersey, the state’s attorney general announced Tuesday.

Matthew Platkin said that Trump’s attempt to unilaterally end birthright citizenship is a “flagrant violation” of the Constitution.

“For more than 150 years, our country has followed the same basic rule: babies who are born in this country are American citizens,” Platkin said. “The Constitution could not be more clear: citizenship of children born in the United States does not depend on the citizenship of their parents. That principle is fundamental to who we are as a nation and what it means to be an American.”

• See Related: NJ Sues Trump Over Ending Birthright Citizenship

Should Garden State residents take Trump at his word when it comes to deportations and immigration? Absolutely, the ACLU of New Jersey says.

“We believe President Trump when he says he will attempt to deport millions of immigrants, continue his assault on reproductive rights, target transgender children, prosecute political opponents, and deploy the military to get his way,” ACLU-NJ executive director Amol Sinha said.

During Trump's first term, the ACLU filed over 430 legal actions against his administration, Sinha noted. And the fight has also taken place on the local and state levels, too.

Since the beginning of the previous Trump administration, New Jersey has enacted new protections to safeguard reproductive freedom, advance immigrants’ rights, and achieve fairer elections, Sinha said.

“New Jersey will not be intimidated by authoritarianism,” Sinha added. “Instead, we will continue to lead the nation by example in defending and advancing fundamental freedoms.”

• See Related: NJ Guide To Donald Trump’s Inauguration As 47th President
• See Related: Trump Tax Cuts: Win Or Loss For New Jersey?
• See Related: 46 Jan. 6 Defendants From NJ Pardoned In Trump’s First Official Act

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