Judge tosses order that limited protests outside Hudson officials’ homes – New Jersey Monitor

A Superior Court docket Decide has dismissed a lawsuit Hudson County Government Tom DeGise filed towards a bunch of activists and voided a restraining order that had severely restricted when the group might protest outdoors DeGise’s residence.

The order, issued in December 2020, restricted protests to a single hour each two weeks, barred greater than 10 folks from demonstrating, and restricted the place such demonstrations may very well be held. Protesters gathered outdoors DeGise’s residence and the properties of some county commissioners to protest since-abandoned contracts Hudson had with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to accommodate immigrant detainees within the county’s jail.

The choose’s transfer comes as politicians in New Jersey and nationwide have expressed extra alarm about activists staging protests outdoors officers’ non-public residences. Assemblyman Lou Greenwald (D-Camden) has launched a invoice that will require the redaction of elected officers’ residence addresses from public paperwork. The U.S. Senate final month unanimously handed a invoice supposed to beef up safety for the 9 Supreme Court docket justices in response to pro-choice rallies outdoors their properties.

Amy Torres, the manager director of the New Jersey Alliance for Immigrant Justice, was one of many targets of DeGise’s lawsuit.

“I want this was one thing that had been determined earlier as a result of the entire purpose we had this protection was due to the chilling impact it had not solely on protesting the ICE contract but in addition simply protesting generally all through the county,” Torres mentioned.

In November 2020, Hudson County renewed for 10 years a contract to carry immigrant detainees for ICE and the protests started quickly after. DeGise and Hudson County’s commissioners sued Torres and different advocates, together with former congressional candidate Hector Oseguera, alleging harassment and different intimidating conduct.

Hudson County severed its ICE accord final September, weeks after Gov. Phil Murphy signed a invoice barring New Jersey detention services from contracting with ICE.

It’s not clear whether or not DeGise will search to attraction the ruling. A spokesperson for DeGise declined to remark.

The American Civil Liberties Union of New Jersey represented Torres and several other different defendants.

“The rights to talk and to protest are protected by the Structure, and dissent has been foundational to our democracy,” Jeanne LoCicero, the ACLU-NJ’s authorized director, mentioned in an announcement. “We hope that the courtroom’s thorough opinion, issued after prolonged and expensive litigation, will function a reminder to elected officers all through New Jersey that efforts to silence dissent and punish opposing viewpoints won’t succeed.”