To the Editor:
Foreign-born residents of New Jersey, who make up almost 25 percent of the state's population, must be feeling whiplash from this week's Supreme Court decisions.The Court upheld birthright citizenship, and at the same time took away temporary protected status for hundreds of thousands of people from Haiti and Syria. It also ruled in favor of turning back asylum seekers who arrive at US ports of entry.
Why should the remaining 75 percent of us care?Aside from the moral implications, there is the problem of depriving numerous industries we all rely on - from elder care to construction to hospitality to agriculture - of workers. Beyond even this is the chaos ICE unleashes in communities as it carries out mass arrests, which it has now pledged to double, to 2,000 per day. These sweeps have led to the detention, deportation, and even deaths of American citizens, not to mention a range of other unconstitutional and illegal actions by the authorities.
Find out what's happening in West Orangefor free with the latest updates from Patch.
A slate of NJ state measures passed in early 2026 set clear limits on ICE's use of state resources and property in the absence of a judicial warrant. Many NJ municipalities and counties have similar policies related to their resources and property.These measures give public employees clear guidelines for interacting with immigration enforcement - guidelines that protect neighbors, follow the law, and keep chaos off our streets. More towns need to follow suit, and fast.
