By Michael Hill
Correspondent
“I just came down on the side of continuing it because I was convinced it’s a very effective law enforcement tool in trying to keep some bad guys out of our communities and off our streets,” said Hudson County Executive Tom DeGise.
DeGise just renewed the contract with Immigration Customs and Enforcement, or ICE, to have county jail officers screen immigrant inmates for serious crimes and/or immigration violations.
“I don’t find it intrusive at all,” he said.
It’s a decision that upsets immigration advocates. They say the county should not be doing the work of ICE. After meetings with the county executive and freeholders, the American Friends Service Committee thought the county was in its corner.
Chia-Chia Wang of the Immigrant Rights Program at American Friends Service Committee says she feels betrayed.
“I was hoping, in the beginning, I was trying to figure out a way to broker a deal,” DeGise said.
Hudson County is one of nearly three dozen in America in partnership with ICE for the screening. If a check finds an immigrant inmate has a serious charge or criminal conviction in violation of his immigration status, the inmate could be federally prosecuted and — in the case of nearly two dozen — deported.
“The families that we’re breaking apart by engaging in these programs, the impact is long term,” Wang said.
“If that were the case I would say it’s a terrible thing to do. You had people that were exploiting people in their own communities. Those are the people that this program gets,” DeGise said.
In a statement, ICE says it will “continue to work cooperatively with law enforcement partners throughout New Jersey as the agency seeks to enforce its priorities through the identification and removal of convicted criminals and other public safety threats.”
The county executive says this is not a case where officers on the street will be looking for immigrants to lock up.
But, advocates argue the screening agreement gives immigrant communities another reason to shy away from calling for help or reporting crimes.
Under a separate agreement, Hudson County has a $22 million annual contract with ICE to house immigration detainees.
“It feels like it does provide a financial incentive for Hudson County to actually identify more immigrants to be detained,” Wang said.
“Do we value our relationship with ICE? Yes, we do,” DeGise said.
But, DeGise says that’s not why he renewed the screening program.
“I found it to be a reasonable program,” he said.
“The county has decided to turn their back on immigrants,” Wang said.
Immigrant advocates plan to ask the county to reconsider.