Hudson County Executive Craig Guy issued an executive order prohibiting U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) from conducting enforcement activities on county-owned property, which was backed by the commissioners.
By Dan Israel/Hudson County View
The executive order excludes ICE and CBP from operating in any building, facility, or on property that is owned, leased, or operated by Hudson County unless required by law or pursuant to a valid judicial warrant.
Additionally, the executive order bars Hudson County employees and contractors from assisting federal immigration authorities in civil immigration enforcement activities and sharing information with them.
“As county executive, I have prioritized protecting Hudson County’s most vulnerable, whether it’s investing in local non-profits or providing first-rate governmental services to our residents in need,” Guy said in a statement.
“This executive order furthers that commitment by keeping our communities safe from unlawful federal immigration tactics. Hudson County is one of the most diverse counties in America and we are proud of that diversity. This order ensures that our residents are safeguarded from harassment and threats.”
The order is virtually identical to the one Jersey City Mayor James Solomon signed last week, as HCV first reported.
The Hudson County commissioners, who were presented the order at today’s meeting and approved a similar resolution, applauded the decision.
“I would like to thank my colleagues on the board of commissioners for supporting and approving this executive order and resolution. Trust in government is crucial to public safety and this policy will advance transparency and accountability and will hopefully show our constituents we are listening to their concerns,” added Board Chair Anthony Romano.
“This action reflects a commitment to protecting residents while setting clear boundaries on how County resources are used. The responsibility now is to ensure the policy is implemented carefully, and without disrupting essential county services,” noted Commissioner Bill O’Dea (D-2).
O’Dea further explained at the meeting, that when he and other commissioners contemplated doing this resolution, he made sure that the county executive’s office was involved with an executive order to give the measure some teeth.
“Quick action was taken to get that executive order in place, the protections it will afford, and some of the fears that it will allay of individuals that every day worry and fear every time they go anywhere, including to our courts,” O’Dea said.
“Every little bit helps, every little bit’s important, and the fact that the two branches of government here work so well and so closely together is a great testimony, now more than ever, on issues like fighting ICE. It’s important that we always show humanity.”
Romano opined that he also took issue with ICE wearing masks, although that practice was not mentioned in the resolution.
“Four things perturb me the most about ICE. Number one, since they’re law enforcement officers, there should be no wearing of masks or hoods. There should be body cameras. There should be name tag insignias, and also proper training. You just don’t hire someone to put them in a hood and a mask, because that would terrify anyone, including myself.”
While many were pleased to see the county government take steps against ICE operations in the area, some residents and activists felt this was long overdue and not enough, calling for more aggressive and immediate action.
“What took you so long to get to this point? You’ve had residents coming since this summer warning you about ICE, asking you to do more … And you guys are just getting to the table now,” questioned Mark Bloomberg, a West New York resident.
“ … And this isn’t enough, because if you don’t think the tactics that we’ve seen in other parts of the country aren’t going to come here, particularly to North Hudson, you’re wrong about it.”
Another speaker, Courtney Walker, expressed dissatisfaction with the delay in addressing this issue.
“In September, we saw a documented video of a sheriff’s officer interacting with ICE agents in Braddock Park,” said Walker.
“In December, there were two additional ICE sightings in Braddock Park, both documented on social media. ICE has pulled Hudson County residents off the NJ Transit buses on their way to work. A Union City resident died while in ICE custody. Children in our community are now so afraid that they believe they need to carry proof of citizenship with them at all times.”
Meanwhile, some like David Guirgis and Ron Bautista, a challenger to Romano in the June 2nd primary, called for more proactive leadership.
“This was an issue in June and July when we had a Republican sheriff for a period of time who was actively collaborating with ICE. There should have been proactive leadership then to promote oversight or pass anything that was involved in the executive order,” Guirgis stated.
“The county government has the obligation, the authority, the responsibility, to do a lot more to protect residents, commuters, workers, and law enforcement officers themselves from unclear rules and unlawful conduct. I used to be undocumented … I’m now a U.S. citizen. I know what it means to look over your shoulder with fear,” declared Bautista.
In response, commissioners including O’Dea opined that this is only the beginning, noting that the board will likely do more as time goes on- similar to how he opposed the county contract for the local ICE facility in 2017 and 2020 until it was cancelled after their contract gained national attention.
He noted how the board supported state legislation to curb ICE that was vetoed by former Gov. Phil Murphy (D) on his way out of office.
“Things take a little bit of time. We’ve got to work within the confines of the government. But this is the result of us listening, people coming and speaking at meetings. I wish we had done it a couple of months earlier, but I think we’ve tried to get through a process of doing it,” explained O’Dea.
He also noted that while the county got federal funding during the pandemic it would likely lose funding in response to this resolution and executive order.
