West Orange Will Limit Cooperation With ICE Under Mayor’s Executive Order

WEST ORANGE, NJ — West Orange has become the latest Essex County town to roll out a policy limiting its cooperation with ICE.

Mayor Susan McCartney recently signed an executive order that confirms township resources will not be voluntarily used to support civil immigration enforcement operations – including staging, detentions, interviews or access to municipal records – unless required by a valid judicial warrant, court order or applicable federal law.

The executive order applies to the use of West Orange’s municipal property, personnel, records, equipment, vehicles and facilities.

The order does not change public access to township services, meetings, facilities, recreation or other public spaces.

“The Township of West Orange is home to residents of diverse national origins, immigration statuses, cultures, languages, and backgrounds, including naturalized citizens, lawful permanent residents, and individuals otherwise entitled to access municipal services and protections under federal and state law,” the mayor’s order states.

“The use of township property, facilities, personnel, records, databases, equipment, vehicles or other resources to support civil immigration enforcement activities unrelated to township operations may interfere with the township's governmental functions and divert municipal resources from their intended public purposes,” the order states.

View the full executive order here.

West Orange isn’t the only Essex County township to adopt a policy involving federal immigration raids this year.

In March, the Bloomfield Town Council passed a resolution that bans ICE from carrying out enforcement activity on municipally owned property without a warrant or court order. Several council members said the legislation is a win for the township, although one said it doesn’t go far enough. Other residents criticized the move on social media, saying that they welcome the presence of federal immigration officers.

“Let ICE do their job and we all will feel safe – I know I will,” one person commented.

The new policy was tested when Bloomfield got a visit from ICE agents in June. The agents were advised of the town’s policy and left the property without delay, the town’s mayor said.

• Related: ICE Agents Leave After NJ Town ‘Takes Action,’ Mayor Says

Other Essex County towns that have passed legislation limiting ICE raids on township-owned property this year include Maplewood, which approved a local law in July.

• Related: Maplewood Bans Warrantless ICE Raids On Town Property

IMMIGRANT ‘SANCTUARY’ IN NORTH JERSEY

West Orange has wrestled with immigration-related controversies in the past.

In 2017, former mayor Robert Parisi issued a statement about the proposal of making West Orange a “sanctuary city” – which he did not support.

Parisi pointed to the state’s existing attorney general guidelines, which he said are “clear and have afforded many protections to immigrants for years.”

“I do not believe we need any declaration, symbolic or otherwise, to reaffirm our commitment to each other, as neighbors, or to protect our residents from a local government or a law enforcement agency that, for decades already, has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to be respectful of all legal, natural and human rights of all our residents… and we will continue to,” he said.

Last year, the U.S. Justice Department sued four New Jersey cities – Hoboken, Jersey City, Newark and Paterson – in an attempt to strike down their sanctuary city policies.

However, a U.S. District judge recently ruled that the Trump administration doesn’t have the legal footing to carry out its threats. The judge pointed to New Jersey’s existing Immigrant Trust Directive, which is nearly identical to the sanctuary policies in Hoboken, Jersey City, Newark and Paterson – and has been successfully defended in court multiple times.

• Related: Feds Can’t Squash ‘Sanctuary’ Policies In 4 NJ Cities, Judge Rules

Federal authorities continue to criticize local “sanctuary” policies, however – including in Essex County.

Earlier this year, the Essex County Board of County Commissioners unanimously passed an “ICE Out of Essex County” resolution. It was officially implemented on July 9.

The new rules prohibit U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) from operating on non-public areas of Essex County properties without a judicial warrant or court order. They also prohibit using county resources to assist with civil immigration enforcement.

Last week, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security released a statement that criticizes the county’s new rules.

According to federal spokespeople, the resolution will impair ICE’s ability to transfer detainees from the Essex County Correctional Facility in Newark, the largest county-run prison in the state.

“When sanctuary politicians refuse to cooperate with ICE law enforcement, they put the safety of the public and our officers at risk,” acting assistant secretary Lauren Bis said. “Sanctuary policies like this make New Jersey communities less safe.”

• Related: Feds Criticize Essex County For Not Cooperating With ICE

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