U.S. Rep. Rob Menendez (D-8) is calling for the permanent closure of CoreCivic’s Elizabeth Detention Center, stating “I am deeply concerned about the inhumane conditions and cases of neglect and abuse against immigrants in this facility.”
By John Heinis/Hudson County View
“As a longtime advocate for immigrant rights, I am proud that 44% of residents in New Jersey’s Eighth Congressional District are foreign-born. Our district is a diverse and welcoming place for people of all backgrounds,” the freshman congressman began in a statement.
“That is why I believe CoreCivic’s continued operation of the privately run Elizabeth Detention Center is severely incompatible with the values and wishes of our communities. Further, I am deeply concerned about the inhumane conditions and cases of neglect and abuse against immigrants in this facility. As a country, we cannot accept an immigration system that fails to live up to our American values.”
His remarks come just two days after the U.S. Department of Justice filed a statement of interest in CoreCivic’s case against the State of New Jersey urging for a permanent injunction in favor of keeping the facility open, as New Jersey Monitor reported.
The legal filing argued that closing CoreCivic, the last detention center in the Garden State that has a contract with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, would be “catastrophic.”
They also contend that a bill signed into law by Gov. Phil Murphy (D) in August 2021 banning New Jersey county governments from entering future agreements with ICE is unconstitutional.
Expectedly, Menendez, who is a lawyer by trade, disagreed with that interpretation.
“Additionally, instead of complying with legislation banning new contracts with ICE detention facilities, passed by the New Jersey Legislature and signed into law by Governor Murphy, CoreCivic has chosen to pursue litigation to protect their profits made from detaining immigrants,” he further stated.
“For these reasons, and so many more, CoreCivic must permanently close the Elizabeth Detention Center.”
The Hudson County Board of Commissioners, then freeholders, renewed their contract with ICE for two years at the end of 2018, indicating this would be the last time, though they extended the deal for up to 10 years at a marathon meeting in November 2020.
About a week-and-a-half late, U.S. Senators Bob Menendez and Cory Booker (both D-NJ), the former who is Rep. Menendez’s father, called for an end with county deals with ICE due to “inhumane policies,” leading to some friction among Hudson Dems.
Immigrations activists continued to speak out against the decision, which included Hudson County Executive Tom DeGise filing an eventually dismissed lawsuit regarding protests at his Jersey City Heights home, until the county decided to phase out the deal in April 2021.
At the time, DeGise said the county was “determined” to get out of the ICE after Essex County Executive Joe DiVincenzo announced they would be doing so.
Instead, Hudson County moved forward with an agreement to provide drug rehabilitation and reentry services for Union County inmates that began taking shape in September 2021.
Thank you to John Heinis for covering this, when no one else is. Do they even still print the Jersey Journal?
The young congressman made a claim that caught my eye. He said 44% of the 8th congressional district is foreign born. WOW! That must mean there are a lot of adults who can’t vote. Sure enough, the state voter registration records show the 8th CD (406,093) has one-third fewer registered voters than the 7th CD (622,763) Go check out https://nj.gov/state/elections/assets/pdf/svrs-reports/2023/2023-07-voter-registration-by-congressional-district.pdf. Census apportionment of districts is by population, not by registered voters.
Put aside whether this is good policy. Is this good politics? The Senator’s son claims to fight for immigrants, one presumes. Who’s fighting for the voters who live in the district?
Just because someone is foreign born does not mean they cannot vote, we do have a naturalization process for people to become US citizens. For all you know, all those 44% foreign born are US citizens and registered to vote. So in this case the congressman is fighting for the voters in his district who once were immigrants but now US citizens.
I’d be wondering how the 7th congressional district has about as many registered voters (based on NJ records) as there are total adults, born anyplace, in the district according to the Census Bureau’s own estimates by CD. As for Hudson, hey, who’s checking, right?
Be a good staffer and tell the young congressman that fighting for people who literally aren’t allowed to vote for him, as opposed to residents here who can vote for him (and his Dad, too), makes about as much sense as a New Jersey representative being IN FAVOR OF New York City’s congestion pricing.