Testa Senate bid hits Democrats on immigration

Cumberland County GOP Chairman Michael Testa is turning Gov. Phil Murphy’s policies around on Democrats in his bid for Rep.-elect Jeff Van Drew’s State Senate seat.

“Governor Murphy has made the hardworking men and women of ICE the enemy, while creating a situation that will inevitably lead to violent criminals like rapists and domestic abusers being released back in to our neighborhoods,” Testa said. “Governor Murphy and South Jersey legislative Democrats will have you believe that all is well in the Garden State, but while their band plays on, the S.S. New Jersey is sinking.”

State Attorney Gurbir Grewal on Friday issued a directive barring county prisons from complying with requests to hold suspects with the intention of turning them over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Prior to the directive, local law enforcement agencies could voluntarily comply with so-called detainer requests.

While the new policy may be a popular one in New Jersey as a whole, the first legislative district, where Testa is making his run, bends further to the right than the state as a whole, despite the fact that Democrats hold the district’s Senate and Assembly seats.

Because of that, immigration issues may play an outsized role at the polls next November.

“Republicans in Cape May, Cumberland and Atlantic Counties must send a clear message by opposing every Democrat on the ballot in 2019,” Testa said. “While they pretend to be moderates, our incumbent Democrat legislators endorsed Phil Murphy for Governor and dutifully cast votes in support of the very Senate and Assembly leadership that is forcing this reckless agenda down our throats. Enough is enough.  Time to back our state.”