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.”
“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.