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New Jersey's D.C. Democrats say Biden administration should not support new immigrant jail • New Jersey Monitor

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New Jersey's D.C. Democrats say Biden administration should not support new immigrant jail • New Jersey Monitor


Most of New Jersey’s congressional Democrats are urging the Department of Justice not to support a new immigrant detention center planned for Newark.

In separate letters asking federal justice officials to refrain from supporting prison company GEO Group’s plan to open the Newark immigrant jail, Sen. Cory Booker, a Democrat, and the state’s eight House Democrats cited President Biden’s prior comments criticizing private prisons.

Biden has said “no business should profit from the suffering of desperate people fleeing violence” and has condemned private prisons for not maintaining “the same levels of safety and security for people in the Federal criminal justice system or for correctional staff.”

“These same disparate and dangerous conditions still persist in privately operated immigration detention centers and the efforts to expand such a system must not be met with support from the federal government,” the House Democrats’ letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland reads.

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Opening a new federal immigration jail in Newark would undermine the efforts of New Jerseyans and lawmakers who worked “tirelessly” to ensure no more immigration centers would open in the state, the June 6 letter adds.

Booker, meanwhile, sent a letter June 6 to Department of Homeland Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and acting U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Director Patrick Lechleitner asking them to reconsider plans to work with GEO Group to open the Newark jail. GEO Group says in court filings that it plans to submit a proposal to ICE to turn Delaney Hall into an immigrant jail.

“A new contract would also serve as an insult to immigrant communities and advocates in New Jersey and around the country who have fought tirelessly to document the human rights abuses at private detention centers and repeatedly pushed the Administration to detain fewer people in more humane settings. I urge you to commit to not open new, privately-run immigration detention facilities in New Jersey,” Booker said.

Murphy signed a law in 2021 banning local governments and private companies from entering into contracts to detain immigrants. A federal judge deemed the law partially unconstitutional last year after CoreCivic — which runs an immigrant jail in Elizabeth — sued the state over the law, with the judge saying the state cannot bar the federal government from contracting with a private company to detain immigrants. The state has appealed.

Attorneys for the Department of Justice in legal filings in that case said it would be “catastrophic” if CoreCivic were forced to close its jail.

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GEO Group has cited similar arguments in its lawsuit against Murphy.

The Elizabeth Detention Center is the last functioning immigrant detention center in New Jersey. A study from Detention Watch Network found that conditions in the jail have long been unsanitary and dangerous, alleging people incarcerated there lack access to air or sunlight, live in quarters infested with vermin, and face abusive treatment from staff members.

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Korn, Gojira, and Spiritbox Rock Newark, New Jersey: Photos

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Korn, Gojira, and Spiritbox Rock Newark, New Jersey: Photos


The post Korn, Gojira, and Spiritbox Rock Newark, New Jersey: Photos appeared first on Consequence.

Korn‘s fall North American tour stopped at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, this past Monday (September 23rd). The outing (pick up tickets here) features a stacked bill that also includes Gojira and Spiritbox.

Spiritbox got the night started with a six-song set that featured favorites like “Holy Roller” and “Circle With Me,” as well as the Canadian metal band’s brand-new single “Soft Spine.” Singer Courtney LaPlante and company fired up the crowd for the heavyweight acts to follow.

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Next up was Gojira, the French metal masters who captured the world’s attention with a mind-blowing performance during the Olympics opening ceremony back in July. Frontman Joe Duplantier led a 12-song set that included the tune they played at the Olympics, “Mea culpa (Ah! Ça ira!),” as well as “Stranded,” “Flying Whales,” “L’enfant Sauvage,” and “Silvera,” all four of which made our recent list of the band’s 10 Best Songs.

It was then time for Korn to take the stage. The nu-metal pioneers are celebrating the 30th anniversary of their self-titled debut album, and they represented it well with four songs, including “Blind,” “Ball Tongue,” “Clown,” and “Shoots and Ladders” (with a bit of Metallica’s “One”).

Three-fifths of the original lineup remains in Korn, including singer Jonathan Davis, guitarist Brian “Head” Welch, and guitarist James “Munky” Shaffer. Bassist Fieldy is still an official member, but hasn’t toured with them since 2021. Ra Diaz of Suicidal Tendencies continues to fill in on bass, while drummer Ray Luzier has been with the band since 2008.

Other highlights included “Got the Life,” “Falling Away From Me,” and the set-closing “Freak on a Leash.”

The tour continues through an October 27th concert in St. Paul, Minnesota. See our photo gallery of the Newark show below.

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Korn, Gojira, and Spiritbox Rock Newark, New Jersey: Photos
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New Jersey woman killed in hit-and-run crash; investigation underway

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New Jersey woman killed in hit-and-run crash; investigation underway


Detectives are investigating after a woman was killed in a hit-and-run crash on Wednesday afternoon in Camden, New Jersey, Camden County Prosecutors said.

According to prosecutors, on Wednesday, Sept. 25, around 3:21 p.m., officers were dispatched to 7th St. and Tulip St. for a report of a pedestrian struck by a vehicle.

The victim — now identified as Carla Mahan, 41, of Camden — was transported to the hospital, where she was pronounced dead at 4:06 p.m., prosecutors said.

Prosecutors said this investigation is active and ongoing at this time.

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Anyone with information is asked to contact Detective Daniel Crawford of the Camden County Prosecutor’s Office Homicide Unit at 856-580-2223 and Detective Andrew Mogck of the Camden County Police Department at 609-519 8588.



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NJ man caught with massive cache of illegal guns, knives and explosives thanks to his own shameless Facebook posts

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NJ man caught with massive cache of illegal guns, knives and explosives thanks to his own shameless Facebook posts


A New Jersey man’s shameless posts on Facebook led police to uncover a massive cache of illegal guns, knives, and explosives stashed inside the suspect’s home on a quiet suburban block this week.

Kyle Arena, 35, of Totowa, NJ, is facing multiple firearms and weapons charges stemming from a home raid Tuesday that yielded rifles, handguns, dozens of knives, ninja stars, brass knuckles, 129 fully loaded illegal high-capacity magazines, thousands of rounds of ammunition and even four explosives, Totowa police said.

Totowa police found rifles, handguns, 129 fully loaded illegal high-capacity magazines and thousands of rounds of ammunition. ABC 7
The suspect lives in a quiet suburban neighborhood. ABC 7

An anonymous tipster alerted cops to Arena’s concerning social media posts and alleged arsenal of guns and investigators had to look no further than his Facebook page for probable cause.

Arena made a habit of flashing his guns online and “posting questionable content in various Facebook groups,” according to authorities.

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Mugshot of Kyle Arena. ABC 7

In one post, he pointed a gun at people while driving by in his car. In other posts, he shared pics of illegal items such as silencers, police said.

In another photo, Arena can be seen holding up a rifle to his square black-rimmed glasses, pretending to take aim at an unseen target.

The emailed tip included screengrabs of Arena’s Facebook posts to a group called “Meal Team 6.1 Mid-Tier Main Group,” according to authorities. That private group of gun-enthusiasts boasts 14,500 members.

“Meal Team 6.1 Mid-Tier Main Group” has a number of rules posted to their homepage, including “DO NOT USE FB REPORTING OPTIONS” or face removal. The rule encourages members to eschew Facebook content moderators for fear that any intervention into the private group would result in it being shut down entirely.

Totowa police found dozens of knives, ninja stars and brass knuckles. ABC 7

With the multitude of evidence from his social posts, Totowa police were granted a search and seize warrant called a “Temporary Extreme Risk Protection Order” by a judge to search through the Lincoln Avenue home where Arena lives with his parents.

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Investigators found the huge arsenal of weapons hidden inside a crawl space inside the home and bomb-sniffing dogs discovered four explosive devices, police said.

Officers seized all the items and arrested Arena without incident. ABC 7

Nearby residents told ABC7 they couldn’t believe one of their neighbors was hoarding the stockpile of deadly weapons.

“I was in shock,” Ciro Abdondanza told the station. “I never would have expected anything of that magnitude would happen in Totowa.”

“I couldn’t believe it,” Carmine Cifalvi added. “That’s just crazy. What’s he starting his own army or something?”

Mugshot of the suspect’s father, Felix Arena. ABC 7

Officers seized all the items and arrested Arena without incident. He is being held by the Passaic County Sheriff’s Office and faces multiple illegal firearms-related charges. He is due in court on Monday.

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The suspect’s 66-year-old father, Felix Arena was also taken into custody during the search. He was charged with disorderly conduct, terroristic threats, and resisting arrest.



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