Essex rally opposes immigration policy & Trump collaboration
As part of an ongoing campaign, New Jersey community members will rally at the Essex County Detention Center this Saturday to call for an immediate end to the Essex County Jail contract with ICE and the release of all the detainees.
Over 1000 immigrant detainees are held each month in the Essex County Jail on behalf of ICE, the federal immigration agency that is tearing apart families and deporting longtime residents who do not have authorization to stay in America.
Essex County Executive Joseph N. DiVincenzo Jr. has defended his collaboration with the Trump administration, saying he collects over $36 million per year for aiding the federal agency in this unjust separation of families.
Among those expected to attend is Jay Arena, who is waging an independent campaign for Essex County Executive to give voters an alternative to voting for DiVincenzo who would otherwise be unopposed.
DiVincenzo, widely known as Joe D., has been the County Executive since 2003, but his record is tainted.
“DiVincenzo is walking evidence that New Jersey Democrats don’t give a damn when they see one of their own use public office to enrich themselves personally,” said Tom Moran, editor of the Star Ledger. “DiVincenzo is a talented and tireless county executive, give him that. But he taints that by grabbing money for himself at the same time. He earns a generous salary of $168,000, about what the governor makes. But on top, he collects a public pension of $69,000 a year, for his job as county executive.”
“ICE has been widely denounced for inhumane policies that result in tearing immigrant families apart. Thousands of parents have been separated from their children,” said Ellen Whitt, a spokesperson for Resist the Deportation Machine, a community group. “Many of the immigrants detained at the Essex County Detention Center are seeking refuge and asylum from religious persecution, sexual violence, death threats, gang violence, and other threats to their lives. Others are long-time members of our community with families here in New Jersey.”
Resist the Deportation Machine contends that If it is wrong for President Donald Trump to separate families, and it is wrong for Essex County to profit off this injustice.
Despite his past support for Republicans, collaboration with Trump and outright corruption, maintains strong support from DiVincenzo Gov. Phil Murphy; Sheila Oliver, his lieutenant governor; Sens. Cory Booker and Bob Menendez; Democratic members of Congress, the state Senate and Assembly; plus dozens of freeholders, mayors and council members.
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