Our state needs to pass the Immigrant Trust Act
By Gorden M. Johnson
Your Turn
Guest columnist
..... Immigration and Customs Enforcement is terrorizing immigrant communities across New Jersey and the country - dressed in plain cloths and masks, they are indiscriminately grabbing people, more often than not people who haven't done anything wrong, and at times people who are in this country legally. The most heartbreaking stories have been those of individuals showing up to court for citizenship hearings, only to be ripped away from their families and taken into custody.
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The recent federal appellate court decisions stating that we cannot ban private companies from contraction with the federal government to detain immigrants is both frustrating and disappointing, but it will not discourage us from continuing to do everything in our power to protect the safety and wellbeing of our residents.
New Jersey's immigrants should not live in fear
..... Undocumented immigrants have every right to be fearful of places they could be targeted. That is why the Immigrant Trust Act is so important. It is not just a symbolic gesture, it is a promise to our friends and neighbors that it is safe to seek out the services they are entitled to. It is safe to enroll their kids in school or take them to the doctor. It is safe to call the police if they're involved in a car accident or need help.
..... We have proudly expanded various social services to include all residents, regardless of immigration status. Now we must reinforce those measures by ensuring people are able to access the support they're entitled to, without risking their place in this country.
Trenton lawmakers must strengthen migrants; protection
..... While the Immigrant Trust Directive established initial boundaries and bans on when local and state law enforcement can voluntary call ICE, these protection don't go far enough, and they're not guaranteed going forward. We must strengthen and safeguard these measures against future administration. Regardless of the outcome of the election for governor in November, [2025] this brand of conservatism that aims to terrorize and dehumanize marginalized communities is here to stay, and we must be prepared to fight it.
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I am calling on legislative leadership to post S3672/A4987 when the Senate and Assembly reconvene in November. [2025]
..... Everyone should feel safe going to the hospital, attending school and visiting the library. This legislation will enact crucial parameters to ensure that staff members in these settings are asking about mitigation status only when it is absolutely necessary and are not storing that data in any captaincy that could compromise residents' safety.
..... To some, this may feel excessive, but anyone who's been following the Trump administration's immigration crackdown over the last seven months should realize how very necessary this legislation is. There are no other law enforcement agencies that can take people
in without cause or protocol, as ICE agents have.
..... We woe it to our neighbors to do all that we can to safeguard them from these atrocities. We must stand tall against the Trump administration's attack on immigrants. Our state, much like our country, is built on immigrants, and everyone's deserves to feel safe in their homes and in their neighborhoods, regardless of where they were born or how the got here.
.... State Senator Gordon M. Johnson, a Democrat, represents New Jersey Legislative District 37.