Webber, Sherrill spar over ICE

Immigration and Customs Enforcement is taking centerstage in N.J. 11.

At a press conference Wednesday afternoon, Assemblyman Jay Webber attempted to tie Democratic nominee Mikie Sherrill to activists and elected officials on the far left who want to abolish ICE.

“I stand with ICE. I oppose all efforts to abolish it,” Webber said. “My opponent has organized rallies calling for the abolition of ICE, organized rallies calling for open borders. It is a stark contrast between me and Mikie Sherrill, and we’re here to underscore that.”

But, mere hours before Webber’s press conference, Sherrill’s camp put out a statement delineating her positions on the controversial agency in an apparent attempt to preempt Webber.

In the statement, Sherrill’s campaign accused Webber of pushing false narratives about her stance on ICE, an attack vector that now numbers among Webber’s favorites.

“I stand with our law enforcement officials,” Sherrill said in the statement.“I know how difficult their jobs are and the toll that gun violence, gang violence, and the opioid crisis takes on our officers and the communities they serve. I do not support the abolishment of ICE. I believe deeply that we must come together, Democrats and Republicans, to solve our immigration crisis by fixing our broken system and securing our borders.”

The 11th district has long been held by Republicans, and far-left positions like calling to abolish ICE could easily cost Sherrill the support of moderates she’d need to with an election there.

So, despite Sherrill’s statement, Webber didn’t want to let her off the hook.

He cited a June 22 Sherrill rally on family separations, which both candidates oppose, at which one speaker, a DACA recipient, asked “when will our congressman in the 11th district demand we shut down ICE.”

Webber called for Sherrill to disavow the woman’s statements a few days later, but it does not appear she did so.

It appears that Sherrill’s statement on Wednesday was the first to directly address the prospect of abolishing the agency in one way or another, and Webber didn’t hesitate to seize on Sherrill’s timing.

“After we put out a media advisory saying we’re going to be talking about this issue, she comes up with a statement that she suddenly finds it in her moral fiber to support ICE,” Webber said. “She’s been running to the left, hanging with the left with the Wind of the Spirit, NJ 11 for Change – far left groups – talking about the abolition of ICE. But, ‘we’ve raised enough money on the far left, I’ve funded my campaign, now I can try to move’ – it’s not going to work.”

Sherrill’s previous statements on immigration have called for comprehensive, bipartisan immigration reform.

Sherrill also tried to blunt the attack by accusing Webber of using law enforcement officers as political props.

Both candidates have the backing of two of the district’s sheriffs. Republican sheriffs Michael Strada and James Gannon, of Sussex and Morris Counties, respectively, are backing Webber, while Democratic sheriffs Armando Fontoura and Richard Berdnik, of Essex and Passaic Counties, are backing Sherrill.

Given that, as well as the willingness of the Republican sheriffs and a former ICE agent that appeared at Webber’s press conference, it seems unlikely the latter attack will find much ground.