State Senator (D-33)/Union City Mayor Brian Stack vowed that local police would “not be an arm of the federal government” and participate in immigration raids during a seminar on immigrants’ rights last night.Â
[fve]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qf3i-gj53Gg&feature=youtu.be[/fve]
“If I didn’t say this tonight it would bother me: you have nothing to be ashamed of. You have done nothing wrong. You’re good, hard-working people and that’s why we’re holding this meeting,” Stack told the crowd of 800 to 1,000 people on hand.
“You’re welcome in Union City and I want you to know, as a government, at the board of education, all of our agencies are here to serve you and help you. We don’t care if you have documents, if you don’t have documents, if you do: it doesn’t matter to us. Do you know why? Because you’re a person just like I am.”
Stack’s remarks came during a short seminar on immigrant rights and laws at St. Anthony of Padua Church on 8th Street, hours after the city distributed free municipal ID’s to undocumented immigrants.
Before attorneys and activists took the stage, Stack added that Union City police would never participate in raids performed by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, better known as ICE.
“When you call Union City police, the police are there to help you. They don’t care if you’re documented or undocumented. Union City police will not be an arm of the federal government to do immigration raids, that’s not the purpose of the police department,” he said to loud applause.
Stack concluded by stating he was proud to lead such a diverse city, saying they can overcome “the monster,” referring to President Donald Trump (R), if they stick together.
The veteran legislature’s remarks were not surprising, given that he called Trump’s immigration policies “a disgrace” in front of a Union City mosque last month, as only Hudson County View reported.
Jersey City attorney Scott Welfel, Centro Comunitario CEUS Executive Director Blanca Molina and longtime Union City immigration rights attorney Maria Velez-Lopez were a few of the speakers that participated in the program, which was given entirely in Spanish.
Hey Brian, you want to flaunt the law, then be prepared to pay the price.
You want to do the crime, then you better be ready to do the time.
LockHimUp!