Heightened tension and the increased presence of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in Morristown has Mayor Timothy Dougherty urging residents to speak up.
“Please call 911. The police department in Morristown, under the Attorney General guidelines in the state of New Jersey, are not allowed with ICE and customs agents,” he said.
Dougherty confirmed that earlier this month, a 6-year-old girl was found alone in town after her father was detained by ICE while getting food for his family.
And a video recently posted to Facebook showed federal immigration enforcement agents walking with Juan Daniel Mendoza, a high school senior who was detained after a raid at a laundromat.
U.S. Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) condemned the agents’ action, calling it part of a larger national issue.
“This is not just going on in Morristown,” Booker said at a Wednesday news conference. “This is going on across our country. It should outrage Americans and this is what we are saying when ICE is out of control. … This is what we are saying when we say ICE is violating our values or making our communities less safe and making our communities more dangerous.”
A GoFundMe has been set up to support the impacted families. Faith leaders have also stepped in, offering support and resources to families who say they feel targeted.
“There is a lot of fear and concern,” said the Rev. Duberney Villamizar of Saint Margaret of Scotland Roman Catholic Church. “We are inviting people if they don’t feel safe to be out. We will help them in any way they need it.”
That fear is also fueling resistance efforts at the State House. Assemblywoman Annette Quijano (D-Union) said she plans to reintroduce the Privacy Protection Act, one of the measures designed to boost protections for undocumented immigrants that former Gov. Phil Murphy pocket-vetoed on Tuesday, his last day in office. The legislation would have limited how and when state and local agencies, along with health care facilities, collect and retain personal information.
Quijano said she was frustrated by the last-minute outcome, adding that many New Jersey families are living with a chilling reality.
“It’s hard to tell them, ‘You can’t speak your language,’ ‘Don’t say anything in public,” she said. “Let’s be honest: You don’t know who is going to be knocking at your door.”
Advocates and lawmakers say they plan to continue working with community partners and Gov. Mikie Sherrill’s administration to better protect residents.
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