The Department of Justice has filed lawsuits against four municipalities in New Jersey—Newark, Jersey City, Paterson, and Hoboken—accusing them of obstructing federal immigration enforcement through their sanctuary city policies, The NY Post reports.
Federal prosecutors allege that these cities have been actively preventing cooperation between local and federal authorities, thereby making it harder to apprehend and deport individuals residing in the country illegally.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Yaakov Roth, in the official complaint, denounced these policies as a direct challenge to national immigration law. “The express purpose and clear effect of these policies … is to thwart federal immigration enforcement,” Roth said. “[E]ven where local law enforcement wants to help the United States deal with the nation’s immigration crisis, the Challenged Policies impede them from doing so.”
Roth further warned that such local policies not only put federal agents in danger but also jeopardize public safety. He contends that these actions violate the supremacy clause of the Constitution. “This not only puts the safety of officers at risk, but also endangers the broader communities they are sworn to protect,” he said.
This legal action follows a highly publicized confrontation that occurred on May 9 at a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) center in Newark. The incident ended in the arrest of Mayor Ras Baraka and sparked federal charges against Representative LaMonica McIver (D-NJ).
Attorney General Pam Bondi blasted state officials in a public statement. “Recent events have proven that these New Jersey officials care more about political showmanship than the safety of their communities,” she said. “As I have made clear, this Justice Department does not tolerate local officials in sanctuary cities obstructing immigration enforcement: there is more litigation to come.”
Baraka, along with Newark Councilmember Kenyatta Stewart and Representatives McIver, Bonnie Watson Coleman, and Rob Menendez, had gathered to protest the reopening of the Delaney Hall ICE facility when the confrontation occurred.
Although Baraka was arrested during the protest, Acting U.S. Attorney Alina Habba decided not to pursue trespassing charges. However, she did proceed with legal action against McIver. “I have persistently made efforts to address these issues without bringing criminal charges and have given Representative McIver every opportunity to come to a resolution, but she unfortunately declined,” Habba said. “No one is above the law — politicians or otherwise.”
A federal judge voiced concern over the handling of Baraka’s arrest, describing it earlier this week as a “worrisome misstep.”
Baraka denounced the Justice Department’s lawsuit, dismissing it as political theater. “We are not standing in the way of public safety,” he said. “We are upholding the Constitution, providing oversight, and following the laws and guidelines of the State of New Jersey. Nothing in our policies prevents law enforcement from doing their jobs. What we refuse to do is turn our city into an arm of federal immigration enforcement, which the courts have already ruled is not our role.”
The mayor, who is currently running for governor, went further in defending his position. “The comments about safety are not only offensive, they are lies meant to create political scapegoats. Immigrants are far more likely to be victims of crimes than perpetrators, and there is no evidence whatsoever that sanctuary policies make communities less safe … When people are not living in fear, they are more likely to report crimes, access healthcare, and engage with the institutions meant to protect them. That makes all of us safer.
“We will continue to do what we have always done, protect the rights of all our residents, stand on constitutional ground, and reject fear-based politics that divide communities rather than strengthen them.”
Hoboken Mayor Ravi S. Bhalla also issued a defiant statement, expressing his city’s unwavering support for inclusion and justice. “Hoboken is a community that prides itself on its vibrancy, its cultural diversity, and its inclusivity, and we will continue to stand together as a community for what is fair and just,” he said. ”The City of Hoboken will vigorously work to defend our rights, have our day in court, and defeat the Trump Administration’s lawlessness. To be clear: we will not back down.”
This is not the first legal challenge mounted by the DOJ this year. Similar lawsuits were filed against state and local governments in New York, Illinois, and Colorado over their sanctuary policies.
Opponents of sanctuary city laws frequently point to alarming cases in which undocumented individuals, released by local jurisdictions without notifying ICE, went on to commit violent crimes.
One notable case led to proposed legislation in New York State that would have required law enforcement agencies to provide ICE with arrest records and fingerprints of non-citizens. The bill was blocked by the Democratic-majority legislature.
That measure was named in memory of Laken Riley, a nursing student from Georgia who was murdered by Jose Ibarra, a Venezuelan national affiliated with a gang. Ibarra had previously been arrested in New York on charges of child endangerment but was released and disappeared from the system.
Democratic leaders in New York, including Governor Kathy Hochul, continue to argue that cooperation with ICE is possible—provided that agents present valid judicial warrants.
One of the DOJ’s ongoing lawsuits in New York challenges a 2019 statute that prevents inquiries into a person’s immigration status and restricts the Department of Motor Vehicles from sharing personal data with federal agencies without a court order.
President Trump has also taken executive action targeting sanctuary policies. His orders aim to cut off federal funds to cities and states that limit cooperation with immigration authorities and to prohibit public benefits for undocumented immigrants.
{Matzav.com}