After Newark immigration raid, Democrats spurn Trump and look to next steps

This post was updated at 12:18 a.m. to include a statement from Gov. Phil Murphy’s office, and at 11:37 PM with statements from Democratic gubernatorial candidates Sean Spiller and Steve Sweeney. 

New Jersey Democrats on Friday promised to fight President Donald Trump’s immigration policies after a warrantless raid by immigration officials at a Newark business sparked anger and worry throughout the country.

Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, a Democratic candidate for governor, said Thursday’s raid violated the Constitution’s protection of due process and prohibition of unreasonable searches. The raid, one of the first aggressive immigration law enforcement operations of Trump’s presidency, has renewed calls for immigration legislation in the state and local resistance to such policing.

“The fact of the matter is we believe in democracy in Newark, New Jersey,” Baraka said during a press conference Friday. “And we’re going to stand on democracy here, and we’re going to fight for all of our residents in this city, no matter what that looks like for us.”

Agents entered a local business and arrested three people and detained several others, including citizens and a military veteran, according to Baraka. He said the agents questioned the validity of the veteran’s military documentation.

Baraka declined to share the name of the business, but NBC News reported Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents targeted Ocean Seafood Depot, a small business in the city.

“The minute we allow the Constitution of the United States to be eroded, that becomes everybody’s problem,” Baraka said. “It’s a slippery slope. Because today they’ll go into a store and violate those people’s rights without a warrant and go in the back and pull people out of there; tomorrow, they’ll come to your house.”

Condemnation of the raid from New Jersey Democrats has been near-universal. Baraka was joined at his press conference by Reps. LaMonica McIver (D-Newark) and Rob Menendez (D-Jersey City), state Senate Majority Leader M. Teresa Ruiz, and several other legislators, activists, and city officials.

Several other gubernatorial candidates expressed their displeasure with the operation, including Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop, Rep. Mikie Sherrill (D-Montclair), and Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-Tenafly).

Notably silent is Gov. Phil Murphy, who hasn’t publicly discussed the raid. Tyler Jones, a spokesperson for Murphy, released a statement Friday night.

“Public trust is essential to public safety,” the statement read. “Our office has requested more information from the Trump Administration about the recent immigration enforcement action in Newark so we have a clear understanding of the facts of this case.”

Fulop is one of several Democrats to reaffirm their support for the Immigrant Trust Act, a bill that would prohibit law enforcement from stopping an individual based on their immigration status or suspected violations of federal immigration law. State Sen. Gordon Johnson (D-Englewood), one of the bill’s primary sponsors, called the questioning of U.S. citizens unacceptable and said no residents should live in fear of their safety.

“President Trump has made it clear that he will stop at nothing to target immigrants, permitting ICE to enter schools, places of worship, and medical facilities, and has even threatened to investigate and criminally charge local and state officials who refuse to comply with his orders,” Johnson said in a release Friday. “We cannot afford to wait.”

Worries about ICE operations at schools increased when Trump reversed a policy that barred immigration agents from making arrests in or near schools. New Jersey education officials sent resources to schools throughout the state this week on how to best protect immigrant students while complying with federal law. The guidance told administrators to immediately notify legal counsel and district superintendents. The guidance also said ICE officials cannot enter schools without a warrant.

The Immigrant Trust Act, which hasn’t been voted on in either chamber, would largely ban government agencies and hospitals from asking about a person’s immigration status—proponents have said the bill would lessen the worries of immigrants who might not otherwise engage with legal or medical help.

Democrats expected aggressive action on immigration from Trump, who made mass deportations a central issue of his campaign. But Thursday’s raid ignited ire from Democrats, many of whom promise to resist much of Trump’s immigration policy whenever possible.

Baraka, for one, said Friday that he’s not afraid of the Trump administration’s threats to arrest local leaders who refuse to comply with mass deportation efforts.

“I’m not afraid of that,” Baraka told reporters. “If he thinks that we’re going to just go to jail quietly, he’s got another thing coming. He’s got to send the right people to Newark.”

ICE agents arrested 538 people on Thursday, nearly double the daily average from this point last year.

Just days into Trump’s presidency, the raid further highlights the conflict New Jersey Democrats will likely have throughout the 47th president’s term.

Murphy, a Democrat, has promised to work with Trump when possible and resist him when needed. The governor planned to attend the president’s inauguration earlier this week but canceled his trip when winter weather threatened to pummel New Jersey. Murphy wrote a letter to Trump on Inauguration Day asking the Republican to assess New York City’s congestion pricing policy.

In the eyes of many Democratic leaders in the state, though, there have been more overreaches to resist than olive branches to accept.

Attorney General Matt Platkin has already announced one lawsuit against the Trump administration: New Jersey is leading a coalition of states in challenging an executive order that would limit birthright citizenship.

Platkin said Tuesday that he’s monitoring executive orders and law enforcement actions by the Trump administration. He didn’t specify how he might respond to potential ICE operations in New Jersey.

“We already have a lot of cooperation with the federal government,” Platkin said. “We have clear rules of the road. We’ll see what happens, but we’re going to take everything in stride rather than respond to potential hypotheticals.”

Sean Spiller, the New Jersey Education Association President and a former Montclair mayor, protested news that ICE attempt to raid an elementary school.

I cannot imagine what it will be like when school doors are busted open and our children are ripped from our classes.   So I say loudly, we will not stand for this,” said Spiller.  “We will not stand for this lawless cruelty from the Trump administration. We will fight back to protect all our residents, especially our most vulnerable.”

Former Senate President Steve Sweeney called the Newark raid “a travesty.”

“It is completely unacceptable for American citizens to be subject to illegal raids without a warrant. I’ve never backed down from a fight,” he said.  “As governor, I will stand up to anyone who tries to violate the constitutional rights of New Jerseyans.