The Hoboken City Council unanimously (9-0) passed a resolution tonight urging state Attorney General Christopher Porrino to take a stand against President Donald Trump’s controversial immigration order.
“The State of New Jersey and its Office of the Attorney General has a longstanding and proud tradition of protecting and upholding the rights of residents and visitors to New Jersey,†Councilman-at-Large Ravi Bhalla said in a statement prior to the meeting.
“ … It is our hope that Attorney General Porrino will give serious consideration, and exercise independent judgment as our Attorney General, in deciding to join other states opposing this Executive Order.”
Bhalla, who is Sikh, also said that Porrino “has an admirable track record” when it comes to civil and right and anti-discrimination laws, but he agrees with Gov. Chris Christie (R) “that national security decisions should be made based upon intelligence and not generalizations.”
The resolution that the council approved calls for Porrino to join the state Attorney General’s in New York, California, Pennsylvania, Washington, Massachusetts, Hawaii, Oregon, Washington, D.C., Connecticut, Virginia, Vermont, Illinois, New Mexico, Iowa, Maine and Maryland in openly opposing Trump’s order.
Peter Aseltine, a spokesman for the state AG’s office, said that Porrino and State Police Col. Rick Fuentes have been conducting Muslim community outreach this week assuring them “their commitment to the fair and impartial enforcement of our laws.”
He further stated that the federal courts will decide “the legality and constitutionality” of Trump’s order.
The president’s January 25 executive order bars individuals from Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen from entering the country for 90 days, citing national security concerns.
Hoboken is the latest Hudson County city to speak out about the issue, with Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop and other elected leaders joining a massive protest at the Newark Avenue Pedestrian Plaza on Monday night.
A copy of the resolution can be read here.
