U.S. v. Newark

Amicus brief in support of the power of the cities of Newark, Hoboken, Jersey City, and Paterson to implement community trust policies that limit voluntary collaboration between municipal agencies and federal immigration enforcement.

When the cities of Newark, Hoboken, Jersey City, and Paterson enacted policies to limit voluntary collaboration between city services and federal immigration enforcement, each city made a decision to promote the safety, health, and welfare of all their respective residents. These policies ensure that local resources are used to support local priorities rather than funding the federal deportation machine. When residents fear that reporting a crime, seeking medical attention, or interacting with municipal services for other routine purposes could lead to detention or deportation of themselves or a family member by federal immigration enforcement, everyone is negatively impacted.

The U.S. federal government challenged these community trust policies in Newark, Hoboken, Jersey City, and Paterson in the District of New Jersey, arguing that certain federal statutes prevent these cities from deciding how to use their own resources.

The ACLU of New Jersey, with a diverse group of 29 organizations working across New Jersey, filed a friend-of-the-court brief in defense of the community trust policies, explaining why they are so critical to the safety, health, welfare, and rights of our communities. These organizations represent or advocate on behalf of a wide range of New Jersey communities, including immigrants; women; religious communities; youth; survivors of intimate partner, family violence, and sexual assault; workers; people living in poverty; and individuals identifying as LGBTQ+:

• AAPI New Jersey
• American Friends Service Committee
• Bayard Rustin Center for Social Justice
• Black Lives Matter Paterson
• Casa de Esperanza
• Cherry Hill Women’s Center
• Comité de Apoyo a los Trabajadores Agrícolas
• El Pueblo Unido of Atlantic City y Pueblos Cercanos
• Faith in New Jersey
• First Friends of New Jersey and New York
• Garden State Equality
• Immigration and American Citizenship Organization
• Kids in Need of Defense
• La Casa de Don Pedro, Inc.
• Latino Action Network
• Latino Coalition of New Jersey
• LatinoJustice PRLDEF
• League of Women Voters of New Jersey
• Make the Road New Jersey
• New Jersey Alliance for Immigrant Justice
• New Jersey Consortium for Immigrant Children
• NJ Coalition to End Domestic Violence
• National Organization for Women of New Jersey
• Palestinian American Community Center
• Pride Center of New Jersey
• Reformed Church of Highland Park
• SEIU 32BJ
• Unitarian Universalist FaithAction of New Jersey
• Volunteer Lawyers for Justice