New Jersey Moves Closer To Banning Prison Contracts With ICE – Patch.com

NEW JERSEY — A proposed law that would ban prisons in New Jersey from making deals to hold federal immigration detainees is rolling along in the state Legislature.

On Wednesday, the Assembly Law and Public Safety Committee voted in favor of A-5207 by a 4-3 margin. The bill now heads to the Assembly speaker for further consideration. Read the full text here.

Its companion, S-3361, gained approval from the Senate Law and Public Safety committee in May.

If passed, the legislation would prohibit state, local governments and private companies in New Jersey from entering into, renewing or expanding detention contracts with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

If Carlos Sierra had his way, there wouldn’t be a choice for prison operators to make in the first place.

Sierra, a former ICE detainee at the Essex County Correctional Facility in Newark, said that an “inhumane detention system” has made it a serious struggle to fight his asylum case.

“I will never be able to see justice for what I was subjected to in detention, but this bill will bring some small bit of comfort to me and my family,” Sierra said.

Over the past years, prisons in several New Jersey counties have been used by ICE to detain dozens of undocumented immigrants. While some places have recently chosen to end these contracts after seeing ongoing protests, others have opted to renew them.

Several state lawmakers spoke out in favor of the pending legislation:

  • Assemblyman Gordon Johnson (D-Bergen) – “It is time for the detainment of undocumented immigrants in our state to come to an end. The fundamental principle here is that no one should ever be put behind bars due to their immigration status. As a state and a nation that is a proud melting pot of cultures, creeds and ethnicities, that kind of treatment does not align with our values or our history.”
  • Assemblywoman Verlina Reynolds-Jackson (D-Hunterdon, Mercer) – “Many in New Jersey are calling for an end to ICE contracts. These detention centers have proven to do more harm than good for New Jersey families. This legislation will put a stop to that.”
  • Assemblywoman Linda Carter (D-Middlesex, Somerset, Union) – “Preventing our state from entering into any further detention contracts with federal immigration authorities is the right and humane thing to do. We cannot continue to take part in depriving undocumented immigrants of the dignity and respect they deserve in this country.”

“I am encouraged to see this bill moving in both houses of the Legislature,” said Senator Loretta Weinberg (D-37), a prime sponsor of the Senate version. “I’m hopeful that we will be getting this bill to the governor’s desk soon.”

Other Garden State lawmakers such as U.S. senators Bob Menendez and Cory Booker have also spoken out against New Jersey counties making agreements with ICE.

Immigrant New Jerseyans and advocates are calling for lawmakers to further advance the bill and hold floor votes in both chambers before the end of June. The Senate version has been referred to the Budget and Appropriations committee, which has an opportunity to meet June 10.

“The moral mandate to ban business with ICE grows more urgent with each passing day,” said Amy Torres, executive director of the New Jersey Alliance for Immigrant Justice.

“While we celebrate [Wednesday’s] release from committee, the legislature must continue to act swiftly in order to guarantee no new contracts are signed in the wake of local closures or wind-downs,” Torres urged.

Other support for the bills included:

Sen. Nia Gill (D-34) – “Allowing ICE to house detainees in New Jersey jails is a tacit approval of an immigration policy that tears apart families, destabilizes communities and even deports parents of United States citizens. Detainees are denied due process as well as adequate medical treatment. These policies continue the systemic racism of the incarceration of Black and brown people. With the advancement of this bill, New Jersey will join other states in leading the fight to end this form of immigration detention.”

Sen. Vin Gopal (D-11) – “The history of abuse in immigration cases is absolutely appalling and unfortunately New Jersey has done very little to help with these matters until now. This legislation that would bar counties and other local governments from entering into contracts with ICE will help stop the inhumane treatment of these individuals and help create a New Jersey For All.”

Assemblywoman Annette Chaparro (D-33) – “The support this bill has received has been nothing short of astonishing – thank you to all the grassroots activists and organizers for fighting to push this legislation forward to create a more progressive New Jersey.”

Assemblyman Raj Mukherji (D-33) – “Wednesday’s action by the Assembly Law and Public Safety Committee reflects our values as a state. We should be celebrating our diversity and immigrant neighbors, including young students and parents and siblings of uniformed service members, rather than uprooting and separating them from their families and communities simply because of their immigration status and subjecting them to imprisonment. It’s time for this measure to advance and get to the governor’s desk.”

Assemblywoman Vainieri Huttle (D-37) – “Today the General Assembly took an important step forward in ensuring dignity and justice for New Jersey’s immigrant community. We must continue to work to end ICE contracts in New Jersey. Due to the efforts of the Assembly Law and Public Safety Committee today, we are one step closer to making this a reality. New Jersey can and should be a leader in ensuring dignity and justice for immigrants, that begins with ending ICE contracts in our state.”

Assemblyman Nicholas Chiaravalloti (D-31) – “This is another positive step forward. We are getting closer to making this important piece of human rights legislation a reality. Our criminal justice system should never be used as a profit center.”

Assemblywoman Mila Jasey (D-27) – “The passage of A5207/S3361 in today’s Assembly Law and Public Safety committee meeting is a sign that our legislators are ready to continue protecting New Jersey’s undocumented population. Immigrants in our state waiting to gain legal status have every right to be treated justly and humanely. Revenue from agreements with federal immigration authorities should not be prioritized over the physical and mental health of those seeking to permanently live in New Jersey. As a proud cosponsor of A5207, along with my legislative partner Assemblyman John McKeon, I urge my colleagues to continue forward progress on this crucial bill.”

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