Phil murphy makes good on nj sanctuary state promise

TRENTON-“We will stand up to this president. If need be, we will be a sanctuary not just city but state. This is America,” Phil Murphy said while on the campaign trail in 2017.

To close out 2018, after being elected Governor, it was one of the few campaign promises he kept as New Jersey has become the second state in the nation to be declared a sanctuary state after a November 29th directive from Attorney General Gurbir Grewal made it so.

In that decree, Grewal limited New Jersey law enforcement’s ability to work with the federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The decree basically lays down the law in New Jersey for police officers handcuffing them when dealing with illegal immigrants who commit or are suspected of committing crimes.

Attorney General Directive 2018-6, known as the “Immigrant Trust Directive,” provides that, except in limited circumstances, New Jersey’s law enforcement officers:

Cannot stop, question, arrest, search, or detain any individual based solely on actual or suspected immigration status;

Cannot 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;

Cannot participate in civil immigration enforcement operations conducted by ICE;

Cannot 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;

Cannot allow ICE to interview an individual arrested on a criminal charge unless that person is advised of his or her right to a lawyer.

New Jersey’s position on granting sanctuary to illegal aliens has been criticized since the shooting death of California police officer Ronald Singh by an illegal alien.

On Friday, Grewal thanked police officers for their service in New Jersey, but his statement was met with harsh criticism.

“Thank you to all our Law Enforcement Officers for all you do for the citizens in your communities,” Grewal said.

“What are you going to say when one of our LEO is murdered by an illegal you and Murphy are protecting, and not protecting law enforcement?” Diane Gola asked Grewal. Grewal nor his staff responded.

“You tied their hands so they can’t question immigration status or citizenship? You don’t support our police one bit,” Carol Perri responded, again with no reply from the AG.

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