In response to Union County's consideration of selling its closed county jail, New Jersey Policy Perspective (NJPP) has called for careful deliberation and a commitment to human rights from county officials. The concern arises from immigrant rights advocates, who caution that the sale could reintroduce U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention in New Jersey.
"New Jersey has come too far to turn back the clock on immigrant justice," stated Nicole Rodriguez, President of NJPP. Rodriguez emphasized the progress after years of community efforts to cut ties with ICE, indicating that any move towards immigrant detention would be a significant setback. She stressed the necessity of having enforceable safeguards during the jail's sale to prevent its use for immigration detention or incarceration profits.
During the first Trump administration, counties such as Bergen, Essex, and Hudson engaged in contracts with ICE, leading to immigrant detentions in local jails. These arrangements faced significant pushback from the public and advocates, leading to the termination of these contracts by 2021. However, with renewed deportation policies under the Trump administration, there is concern about the potential for counties to re-engage with ICE, particularly if facilities like the Union County jail become accessible to private prison companies.
Marleina Ubel, Senior Policy Analyst at NJPP, remarked, "In this political moment, pretending a former jail won’t be marketed as a detention center is dangerously naïve," highlighting the active interest of private prison companies and ICE in locating new detention spaces. She urged county officials to proactively prevent the return of immigrant detention in the state.
New Jersey is home to over two million immigrants who contribute to various aspects of the community and economy. NJPP suggests that local governments should prioritize investment in initiatives that foster opportunity and safety, such as legal defense funds, community services, and affordable housing, as opposed to perpetuating a cycle of incarceration and deportation.
The organization asserts that New Jersey's standards and legislation demand a different approach, warning against allowing policies of mass deportation to transform public institutions into mechanisms of trauma and family separation.
