New Jersey’s sanctuary immigration policies were considered “unlawful” by the U.S. Department of Justice which filed a lawsuit against them under the Supremacy Clause of the U.S. Constitution.
The Justice Department said Tuesday that New Jersey officials allegedly failed to give information regarding the release date of detained individuals who had been charged with or convicted of a crime.
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“New Jersey’s decision to obstruct federal immigration enforcement by refusing to provide such information is unlawful under the Supremacy Clause of the U.S. Constitution,” the DOJ argues.
U.S. Attorney General William Barr said that the state’s policy is ilegal. He claims that it obstructs federal immigration enforcement.
“Today is a significant escalation in the federal government’s efforts to confront the resistance of sanctuary cities,” U.S. Attorney General William Barr said. “But by no means do the efforts outlined above signify the culmination of our fight to ensure the rule of law, to defend the Constitution and to keep Americans safe.”
The complaint challenges New Jersey Attorney General Gurbir Grewal’s “Immigrant Trust Directive”. This directive prevents state law enforcement officials from sharing information with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement about the immigration status and release date of detained individuals.
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It also requires state and local law enforcement to inform a person who is detained if the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE )has filed an immigration detainer request for the individual.
The Justice Department also argued in that due to New Jersey’s law enforcement directive there were less arrests during year 2019 than in 2018.
However, Grewad discarded the lawsuit as a simple electoral movement in which President Trump places politi cal interests above legitimate citizen needs.
“Once again, the Trump Administration is sacrificing public safety for political expedience,” Grewal said in a statement. “It’s no surprise that the President, facing re-election, has suddenly decided to challenge a policy we first announced in 2018. What’s disappointing is that my former colleagues at the Justice Department have agreed to go along with this election year stunt.”
He added that the continuity of his job will be maintained. “Thankfully, nothing about today’s lawsuit changes our work on the ground. While the President grandstands, we’re focused on protecting the nine million residents of New Jersey.”
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