New Jersey
New Jersey, Roxbury Township Seek Injunction to Block ICE Detention Facility – Insider NJ
View Motion for Preliminary Injunction
Governor Mikie Sherrill and Attorney General Jennifer Davenport announced today that New Jersey and the Township of Roxbury have requested that the U.S. District Court issue a preliminary injunction to prevent the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) from converting a vacant industrial warehouse in Roxbury into a mass immigration detention facility.
Emergency relief is needed because DHS has indicated it plans to engage in construction activities in areas protected by a state-issued easement as early as late May.
If the project were to proceed, it would impose profound burdens on local infrastructure and public resources from a facility that would house up to 1,500 detainees and be staffed by 1,000 employees, in an area not zoned for large-scale human occupancy. DHS and ICE failed to comply with federal laws requiring them to consult with state and local government officials and fully assess a project’s impacts on the environment and local resources.
The motion for a preliminary injunction explains that a federal court already found a DHS decision to convert another analogous warehouse into an ICE detention facility in Maryland is likely unlawful. ICE spent $129 million to acquire the Roxbury warehouse – and should be prevented from expending even more taxpayer dollars on construction given that the lawsuit is likely to succeed on the merits.
“The Trump Administration has ignored State and local officials in pushing its ill-conceived plan forward because it knows the local impacts are indefensible, and this facility will not make the community safer,” said Governor Sherrill. “We are standing up for New Jerseyans in a bipartisan manner to ensure their drinking water, public safety, and pocketbooks are protected.”
“We need swift relief to ensure we can enforce the law and protect New Jerseyans. DHS cannot transform local neighborhoods into detention outposts without considering the impacts on local resources and consulting with the State and local governments,” said Attorney General Davenport. “The court needs to step in before the damage is done, not after a lengthy case renders it too late.”
The lawsuit filed March 20 seeks declaratory and injunctive relief under the Administrative Procedure Act (APA), the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the Intergovernmental Cooperation Act (ICA), and the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA).
DHS’s decision to purchase, convert, and operate a detention facility in this warehouse is unlawful for several reasons. As alleged in the complaint:
· The site is currently a vacant warehouse on Route 46 that consists largely of a single large room with concrete floors and only four toilets.
· The property lacks adequate water or sewage access to accommodate up to 1,500 detainees and 1,000 ICE staff.
· Converting the warehouse into a detention center would multiply the water demands and wastewater output by more than 15 times, posing a serious risk of sewage overflows into nearby land, streets, and waterways – including Lake Musconetcong, which is 1,000 feet away and downhill from the warehouse, and Lake Hopatcong, the largest freshwater lake in New Jersey.
· An exponential increase in water demand poses a substantial risk of reducing water pressure and reliability for residents, impairing flows needed for fighting fires, depleting groundwater, and diminishing nearby wells.
The warehouse is located near the Route 46 interchange with Interstate 80, an already dangerous section of road that has been the site of dozens of crashes, including three with fatalities, since 2019. It is expected that about 1,000 staff will work at the warehouse following its conversion, adding hundreds of new vehicles to nearby roads during rush hour.
PHILADELPHIA – Philip McPherson II, a 37-year-old from Riverside, New Jersey, was sentenced Thursday, June 11, to 78 months in prison for his role in a 2022 plane crash in Lehigh County that killed a student pilot, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of Pennsylvania.
Sentencing and charges for fatal Lehigh Valley crash
What we know:
United States District Judge John M. Gallagher sentenced McPherson to 78 months in prison, three years of supervised release, a $5,000 fine, a $4,300 special assessment, and $19,530 in restitution. Judge Gallagher also barred McPherson from working in the aviation industry.
McPherson pleaded guilty in October to involuntary manslaughter, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, obstruction of an administrative proceeding, and 40 counts of serving as an airman without a certificate.
The backstory:
Court filings show that on September 28, 2022, McPherson took off from Queen City Airport in Allentown as the pilot-in-command with student pilot K.K. and crashed shortly after, resulting in K.K.’s death.
Prosecutors said McPherson acted with gross negligence, knowing he was not competent to fly as pilot-in-command. He had two prior crashes, nearly a third, and failed a reexamination for his pilot’s certificate in September 2021.
McPherson voluntarily surrendered his pilot’s certificate in October 2021 and let his Temporary Airman Certificate expire in November 2021, acknowledging his inability to meet FAA standards.
He admitted to flying with passengers without a valid FAA pilot’s certificate between October 12, 2021, and September 20, 2022.
Investigators from the U.S. Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General, FAA, and Salisbury Township Police Department worked on the case, which was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Robert Schopf and Special Assistant United States Attorney Marie Miller.
What we don’t know:
Authorities have not released further details about the circumstances leading up to the crash.
The Source: Information from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of Pennsylvania.
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On Sunday, June 14, a bell will ring at the Historic Olde Courthouse in Mount Holly, New Jersey, as part of a festival to commemorate the nation’s 250th anniversary.
In the summer of 1776, officials rang the same bell at the courthouse in Burlington City, the seat of Burlington County at the time, after the Declaration of Independence was signed.
The bell was moved to Mount Holly in 1796 when that city became the Burlington County seat.
Marisa Bozarth, Burlington County’s museum curator of history, said courthouse bells were rung in the 1700s to signify that something important was taking place.
“They would have rung it when there was a large court case of any significance, when the jury was coming back, so people knew to return to the courthouse to hear the verdict,” she said. “The bell was also rung any time there was any public reading of any sort of important document. It was their way to get the information out to the masses quickly.”
After the wording of the Declaration of Independence was finalized and the document was signed, every state received a copy so it could be shared with the people living there. At the time, some Burlington County residents wanted to remain loyal to Britain, while others supported the movement for independence, Bozarth said.
“I would think it was a bit of a scary time because when the Declaration of Independence was finally signed and then presented, it meant we were really going to war,” she said. “We were declaring our independence, but we weren’t officially an independent nation yet. It meant a scary time was coming because Britain wasn’t going to accept that and just let us walk away.”
Some of the biggest matches of the 2026 World Cup, from group stage showdowns to the blockbuster final, will unfold at MetLife Stadium, bringing the biggest stars in soccer to New York and New Jersey this summer.
Home to the NFL’s New York Giants and New York Jets, MetLife Stadium plays host to eight World Cup games, the second-most of any venue across the 16 host cities throughout the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Five group stage matches, featuring the likes of Brazil, France, England and Germany, take center stage before the knockout stage brings a round of 32 and then a round of 16 clash to East Rutherford. The final on July 19 headlines the stadium’s fixtures, where over 82,000 people will be in attendance to watch the 2026 world champion crowned.
So many must-see matches promises blinding star power coming through New York and New Jersey, with five of the sport’s best players all guaranteed to feature in at least one game at MetLife Stadium.
1. Kylian Mbappé (France)
Match in NY/NJ: France vs. Senegal, June 16
It feels only right to start with the reigning World Cup Golden Boot winner Kylian Mbappé. The forward picked up the individual honor, as well as a runners-up medal, back in 2022 when France fell short against Argentina in Qatar.
Four years after the disappointing finish and eight years after Les Bleus won their second World Cup title, Didier Deschamps’s men are back on the world stage with one of the most ferocious attacks in soccer, led by Mbappé. Despite the 27-year-old’s turbulent time at Real Madrid, he comes into the tournament off the back of a 42-goal season, looking fully free of the knee injury that hindered his 2025–26.
Mbappé was held quiet in France’s two tune-up friendlies, but it’s only a matter of time before he gets back on the scoresheet, and he has his first opportunity to do so at MetLife Stadium against Senegal. Should he bag a brace, Mbappé will become France’s all-time leading goalscorer.
2. Harry Kane (England)
Match in NY/NJ: Panama vs. England, June 27
Speaking of prolific goalscorers, Harry Kane is also set to play at MetLife Stadium in the group stage when England face off with Panama. The No. 9 scored a staggering 61 goals for Bayern Munich in 2025–26, a career-best haul ahead of the biggest tournament of his life.
The Three Lions are one of the pre-tournament favorites, desperate to claim their first major honor since 1966. They have come close to an ever-elusive piece of silverware, most recently finishing as the runners-up at the last two European championships, but nothing would be sweeter than lifting the golden World Cup trophy this summer.
So much of England’s hopes rest on Kane’s shoulders, but there is likely no player in the world Thomas Tuchel would rather leading his line than the captain, who is in the form of his life at age 32.
3. Vinicius Junior (Brazil)
Match in NY/NJ: Brazil vs. Morocco, June 13
Brazil vs. Morocco is one of the rare group stage matches that has stars on both teams. Achraf Hakimi and Brahim Díaz lead the way for the visitors while Vinicius Junior and Neymar Jr headline Carlo Ancelotti’s squad.
Brazil’s all-time leading scorer is undoubtedly the biggest draw, having earned a call-up for the World Cup that sent the country into pandemonium. Yet another injury setback likely rules Neymar out of the team’s opener at MetLife, leaving Vinicius Jr to take the spotlight, something he’s more than used to after eight seasons at Real Madrid.
The electrifying winger has struggled to produce in a yellow shirt, but he is not lacking in confidence after tallying 32 goal contributions for Los Blancos last season. Vinicius Jr also hit the ground running with the Seleção, bagging a sensational goal and assist in the team’s 6–2 rout over Panama, a performance he will hope to replicate under the lights as Brazil pursue a record-extending sixth World Cup title.
4. Erling Haaland (Norway)
Match in NY/NJ: Norway vs. Senegal, June 22
Along with the biggest names in La Liga and the Bundesliga, MetLife Stadium is also hosting one of the faces of the Premier League in Erling Haaland. The striker will lead Norway when it takes on Senegal in a clash that could decide the final standings in Group I.
Haaland is coming off a particularly draining last 12 months at Manchester City, where he made 56 appearances stemming back to last summer’s Club World Cup. Still, he found the back of the net 41 times and added another Premier League Golden Boot to his trophy cabinet.
Unlike at the club level, Haaland does not have the supporting cast on Norway to pick him up if he has a quiet night. The 25-year-old must be at his best in every match if he wants to lead his country to the round of 16, its best-ever World Cup finish, and perhaps even beyond.
5. Jamal Musiala
Match in NY/NJ: Ecuador vs. Germany, June 25
Germany’s last two World Cup campaigns ended in disastrous group-stage exits, nowhere near the standard of a country with four stars above its crest. Jamal Musiala was just a teenager when he made his World Cup debut in Qatar, but now he is back with more experience and trophies under his belt to help Die Mannschaft eradicate its recent failures.
The Bayern Munich star is fully recovered from the horror fractured fibula and dislocated ankle he suffered last summer, ready to have a tournament to remember. So much of Germany’s prowess relies on the dribbling and quick feet of the attacking midfielder, who is known to curl in a strike from distance if the moment calls.
In fact, Musiala just recently made his first appearance for the national team in nearly two years and scored on his return, helping Germany claim a 4–0 win over Finland in its first tune-up friendly. The real pressure comes on the world stage, but the 23-year-old is never one to shy away from the moment.
READ THE LATEST WORLD CUP NEWS, ANALYSIS AND INSIGHT FROM SI FC
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