Immigrants In Union County: What Leaders Are Doing To Support Trust

UNION COUNTY, NJ — The Union County Board of Commissioners took a step to further support immigrants from being deported at their latest meeting.

The Board approved Resolution 2025-796 on Oct. 23, encouraging the state to pass the Immigrant Trust Act (Senate Bill S3672 and Assembly Bill A4987). The move also underlined the County's support for advocacy organizations, like Wind of the Spirit, who fight for immigration rights throughout the state.

"I know what immigrants really are, they're members of my family," said Adam McGovern, a representative of Wind of the Spirit who spoke at the meeting. "They're the people who show me what it's like, what it means to be an American."

The Immigrant Trust Act establishes protections for immigrants interacting with government agencies, like with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and other entities that help the United States enforce laws. Through this Act, New Jerseyans are afforded support from state and local agencies without fear of being deported.

"The Immigrant Trust Act is about ensuring that every person, regardless of immigration status, can feel safe seeking help, reporting a crime, or accessing services without fear," said Commissioner Sergio Granados.

This includes a number of new data privacy protections and strengthens the separation between local law enforcement and federal immigration enforcement:

• Directs local resources towards funding local initiatives rather than federal immigration enforcement
• Safeguards personal information by limiting situations where public agencies can gather data related to immigration status
• Requires public schools, health care facilities, libraries, and shelters to enact policies that help residents feel secure taking advantage of services in their area
• Bans state and local law enforcement from working with federal immigration authorities when it is not required by law
• Removes details in the New Jersey Attorney General's Immigrant Trust Directive that deny certain protections to immigrants in the criminal legal system
• Establishes reporting requirements that monitor compliance with the Act

The Immigrant Trust Act is currently awaiting approval by the state Assembly before moving to the state Senate on its way to become a law.

"Union County will continue to stand alongside our immigrant families and immigrant communities today and always," Grenados added while thanking the members of Wind of the Spirit who were in attendance.

Union County will now share its resolution with the other counties across the state, legislators, and Governor Phil Murphy in order to advocate for its passing.

So far, Hudson and Essex counties are the only other two counties in New Jersey that have passed similar resolutions. On a municipal level, nearly 20 communities across the state, such as Princeton and Flemington, have approved their own resolutions.

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