❗ Trump declares state of emergency at Southern Border ❗ NJ is home to 2.2 million immigrants ❗ Gov. Murphy declared NJ a ‘sanctuary state’
A showdown is likely between New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy and the Trump administration over immigration.
One of President Donald Trump’s first official actions after returning to the White House was to declare an emergency at the U.S. Southern border with Mexico.
It is the first step toward implementing the president’s promised mass deportation of immigrants in the U.S. illegally.
Trump has promised to deport up to one-million undocumented immigrants per year and use the U.S. military to accomplish his goal.
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New Jersey could end up being a central battle ground between the anti-immigration policies of the Trump administration, and the pro-immigration policies of New Jersey.
New Jersey’s immigrant population
The Migration Policy Institute estimates New Jersey’s immigrant population at 2.2 million people.
That makes New Jersey home to one of the largest immigration populations in the United States.
Of that number, an estimated 475,00 are in the U.S. illegally.
Another 2,600 are children of undocumented parents. They are the so-called “dreamers” and are considered U.S. citizens under the 14th Amendment.
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President Trump has indicated he could challenge birthright citizenship but eliminating it would likely require a repeal of the 14th Amendment by Congress.
New Jersey: A Sanctuary State
Prior to his re-election to a second term, Murphy vowed to make New Jersey a safe haven for undocumented immigrants.
“We’ll be a sanctuary – not just city – but state,” Murphy proclaimed.
In 2018, Murphy’s then-Attorney General Gurbir Grewal issued the Immigrant Trust Directive.
Under the directive, Murphy banned state and local police from cooperating with federal immigration authorities.
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It also banned local and county jail facilities from housing individuals arrested by immigration agents. The cooperative agreements dated back to the Democratic Bill Clinton administration. In 1996 a law signed by President Clinton allowed local and state law enforcement to partner with the federal government for enforcement of immigration laws.
There have been several republican led efforts to repeal New Jersey’s Immigrant Trust Directive. All have failed.
Democrats in the legislature have introduced a bill that would codify the directive into actual state law, but the bill has been stalled in committee.
What happens now?
Immigrant rights groups have begun holding weekly meetings in an effort to educated migrants about their rights and what to do if immigration agents knock on the door.
ICE arrests Newark – Dec 2024
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Canva/U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement release ICE agents make arrests in Newark, NJ
Federal law supersedes any state law, but states cannot be compelled to cooperate with immigration agents.
New Jersey cannot, however, prevent teams of immigration agents from moving into the Garden State to round up undocumented individuals.
The recently passed Laken Riley Act would require federal authorities to detain migrants accused of theft and violent crimes.
Where these individuals could be held is still an issue of much debate in New Jersey. Gov. Murphy has banned immigration detention contracts with local and county jails, but that ban is being challenged in court.
Some have speculated the Trump administration could threaten to withhold federal aid to states that refuse to aid immigration agents in their enforcement actions.
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Murphy has signaled he is willing to work with President Trump and has asked him to help end New York $9 congestion pricing toll.
“I will never back away from partnering with the Trump Administration where our priorities align,” Murphy said in his State of the State speech last week, “But just as importantly, I will never back down from defending our New Jersey values — if and when they are tested.”
Given Murphy’s and Trump’s vastly different positions on illegal immigration, the issue will surely test the relationship between the Statehouse and the White House.
NJ towns that flipped for Trump in 2024
In the 2024 presidential election in New Jersey, Donald Trump won 61 municipalities he had lost to Joe Biden four years earlier. Those flipped municipalities are listed below by county and show the percentage point difference between Trump and Harris and between Biden and Trump.
Gallery Credit: New Jersey 101.5
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NEW YORK (WABC) — Commuters are being warned to plan ahead Monday as the FIFA World Cup match between Norway and Senegal at MetLife Stadium is expected to create significant travel disruptions during the evening rush hour.
City officials have issued a Gridlock Alert Day for Monday, citing the 8 p.m. kickoff, expected heavy traffic and the potential for severe weather, including strong thunderstorms and heavy rain.
The biggest impact will be felt at Penn Station, where NJ Transit service to New Jersey will be restricted beginning at 3:20 p.m.
From 3:20 p.m. until 7:01 p.m., New Jersey-bound trains departing Penn Station and Secaucus Junction will be reserved exclusively for World Cup ticket holders traveling to MetLife Stadium. Fans must have both a match ticket and an NJ Transit ticket to board.
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That means regular commuters heading home to New Jersey during that time will need to find alternate transportation, including PATH trains, ferries or buses.
Officials are encouraging commuters who normally rely on NJ Transit to leave earlier in the day if possible.
Round-trip NJ Transit tickets to MetLife Stadium are still available for $98. However, all 12,000 seats on shuttle buses departing from Grand Central Terminal, the Port Authority Bus Terminal and Columbus Circle have sold out for Monday’s match.
Street closures around Penn Station will also begin no later than 2 p.m. to accommodate security screening and fan queues. Officials say 33rd Street between Seventh and Eighth avenues and 32nd Street between Sixth and Seventh avenues will remain closed until after 8 p.m., while 33rd Street between Sixth and Seventh avenues is expected to reopen after 1 a.m.
The restrictions mirror what travelers experienced during last week’s World Cup match, when thousands of fans packed transit hubs across the region.
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NJ Transit President and CEO Kris Kolluri thanked city officials for helping manage crowds around Penn Station.
“I’m so grateful to the City of New York and Mayor Mamdani for setting up a great system outside Penn Station to process the fans from a security standpoint,” Kolluri said.
He also urged commuters to remain patient as the region hosts the international tournament.
“My one ask is that this is a very amazing opportunity for the region and for the state of New Jersey. I know commuters have busy lives and they are trying to earn a living. We’re asking for a little patience,” Kolluri said.
Officials say NJ Transit transported more than 26,000 fans during the June 16 World Cup match, with additional crowds expected for Monday night’s game.
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Drivers are also being warned to expect significant delays near MetLife Stadium, particularly along Route 3.
City officials continue to encourage residents and visitors to walk, bike or use public transportation whenever possible.
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Three people were killed when a small plane taking off from New Jersey crashed into a neighborhood in Maryland, according to authorities.
A Piper PA-28 carrying a pilot and two passengers plummeted into a residential area in Bowie around midnight on Sunday, according to the Federal Aviation Administration and Maryland State Police.
A Piper PA-28 carrying a pilot and two passengers plummeted into a residential area in Bowie around midnight on Sunday. Channel4
The possible training flight was en route from Ocean City, New Jersey, to Montgomery County Airport in Gaithersburg when the plane suddenly crashed in a wooded area close to homes, Elena Russo, spokesperson for the Maryland State Police, said at a press conference on Sunday.
The pilot and two passengers, who were all adults, were pronounced dead on the scene.
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Emergency responders rushed to search for the plane after receiving an alert of a possible crash nearby, but were unable to reach the wreckage until roughly 3:45 a.m., cops said.
Officials believe the plane belongs to a Montgomery County flight school and was “possibly participating in a training flight.” Channel4
Officials believe the plane belongs to a Montgomery County flight school and was “possibly participating in a training flight,” Russo said.
Photos captured debris from the single-engine plane strewn near a playground in the city, less than 20 miles from Washington, DC.
The National Transportation Safety Board will investigate the cause of the crash.
