Gov. Murphy and the New Jersey attorney general are attempting to make New Jersey a sanctuary state, where officials limit cooperation with the federal government regarding immigration law enforcement. They are mandating that Cape May County Sheriff Bob Nolan comply with this directive.
Cape May County Freeholders Gerald M. Thornton and E. Marie Hayes, along with the Freeholder Board, support Sheriff Nolan’s opposition to making Cape May County a sanctuary county. In July, the Cape May County Board of Chosen Freeholders gave its unanimous support to the Cape May County Sheriff’s Office’s commitment to upholding public safety in Cape May County by continuing the 287(g) program at the Cape May County Jail.
Democratic freeholder candidates Liz Casey and Joyce Gould have not taken any position on this critical issue facing Cape May County. Neither Casey, nor Gould, nor any of the Democratic candidates, have voiced opposition to the actions of the governor and the attorney general.
The 287(g) program allows state and local law enforcement entities to enter into partnerships with ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) and deputize their officers to act as immigration agents. The Cape May County Sheriff’s Office first entered the 287(g) program in 2017, under former Sheriff Gary Schaffer. Under the agreement with ICE, suspects at the county jail are checked against a federal database currently not accessible to county law enforcement.
“Cape May County does not want to be a sanctuary county,” Freeholder Director Thornton stated. “We fully support Sheriff Robert Nolan the same way we supported the previous sheriff, Gary Schaffer, who introduced the program.”
“Currently there is a person on ICE detainer who was charged with aggravated sexual assault on a minor and endangering the welfare of a child,” added Thornton.
The county does not send officers into the community to round up undocumented residents. It only helps deport those accused of crimes who end up in the county jail.
“When someone who is brought into the county jail on serious charges, their records are run through a computer system. If they are found to be an illegal immigrant, then ICE is contacted,” Hayes stated.
“If the county were to sever its ties with the 287(g) program, an individual convicted of a dangerous crime could end up back on the streets of Cape May County following his or her prison term,” Thornton stated. “The Cape May County sheriff, with the support of the Cape May County Freeholder Board, cannot accept this outcome.”
Thornton and Hayes have opposed the idea of sanctuary counties for several years. The issue is now at the forefront due to the action the attorney general has taken throughout the state trying to make New Jersey a sanctuary state. Thornton and Hayes do not believe that the state has the authority to tell the county that they can’t comply with the laws of the Constitution of the United States.
Vote for Freeholders Gerald M. Thornton and E. Marie Hayes Nov. 5 for proven leadership.
Ordered and paid for by Thornton and Hayes for Freeholder, 15 Caroline Lane, Ocean City, NJ 08226.
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