Hudson County is leaning toward not renewing a controversial agreement it has with federal immigration officials that allows county workers to act as immigration agents.
Immigration advocates last week urged the county not to continue to participate in the controversial program, known as 287(g) for the section of the federal law that authorized it. The county's agreement with the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency expires today and the county was mulling whether to agree to a multiyear extension.
County spokesman Jim Kennelly said County Executive Tom DeGise offered to extend the agreement until a July 6 meeting with ICE to allow federal officials to argue their case, but ICE rejected that idea. That meeting is still on, but Kennelly's comments indicate DeGise has decided not to allow county workers to continue to identify and arrest undocumented immigrants.
"Barring overwhelming evidence presented by ICE of its law enforcement value or of the need for county, rather than ICE personnel, to carry out this function, the 287(g) agreement will not be renewed," Kennelly said.
Advocates for immigrants nationwide have said the program has led to racial profiling and other abuses. Chia-Chia Wang, organizing and advocacy director for the immigrant rights program at Newark-based American Friends Service Committee, applauded the county for expressing hesitancy about continuing its ICE partnership.
"Local law enforcement should not be enforcing immigration law, period," Wang said. "287(g) is a flawed program."
Hudson County, where more than 40 percent of the population is foreign-born, is one of only two counties in New Jersey that partner with U.S. Immigration and Customers Enforcement in the 287(g) program. The other is Monmouth County.
The program was started in 1996 but promoted after the 9/11 attacks. Thirty-two public entities currently participate, down from 72 in 2010. In 2009, President Obama revamped 287(g) to focus on rooting out illegal immigrants who have committed serious crimes.
Terrence T. McDonald may be reached at tmcdonald@jjournal.com. Follow him on Twitter @terrencemcd.