Yesterday, New Jersey Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal announced a directive limiting the assistance state, county, and local law enforcement agencies can give to federal immigration officials. According to the Attorney General’s Office, the “Immigrant Trust Directive,” which applies “to all state, county and local law enforcement agencies, including police, prosecutors, county detectives, sheriff’s officers, and correction officers,” states they cannot:
Stop, question, arrest, search, or detain any individual based solely on actual or suspected immigration status
Ask the immigration status of any individual, unless doing so is necessary to the ongoing investigation of a serious offense and relevant to the offense under investigation
Participate in civil immigration enforcement operations conducted by Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE)
Provide ICE with access to state or local law enforcement resources, including equipment, office space, databases, or property, unless those resources are readily available to the public
Allow ICE to interview an individual arrested on a criminal charge unless that person is advised of his or her right to a lawyer
The directive does not prohibit county and state correctional facilities from entering into contracts with ICE to hold immigrant detainees (often indefinitely) in New Jersey prisons—a practice that generates tens of millions in revenue annually. » Read More
On Wednesday, July 18, New Jersey sued the US Department of Justice (DOJ) over the Trump administration’s policy that attaches immigration enforcement conditions to federal public safety grants. These conditions have already cost New Jersey taxpayers over $4 million in federal public safety grants, given several New Jersey “sanctuary state” policies. » Read More
Justice Department to Charge Those Crossing U.S. Border with Federal Crimes
Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced that the federal government would immediately detain individuals crossing the U.S. border without documentation and charge them with crimes in federal court. Sessions further stated that families would not be spared, indicating that if “you’re smuggling a child, we’re going to prosecute you, and that child will be separated from you, probably, as required by law. » Read More
On Wednesday, Attorney General Jeff Sessions sent letters to 29 local governments considered “sanctuary cities,” warning of a December 8, 2017, deadline to end policies that prevent information-sharing between local governments and Department of Homeland Security agencies, like Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE). » Read More
As expected, the Department of Justice just announced that the 2012 Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals—known as DACA—has been rescinded. Attorney General Jeff Sessions delivered the news in a morning press conference at the Department of Justice.
The Attorney General noted that the Department of Homeland Security has developed a plan to begin the “immediate wind-down” of the DACA program. » Read More
