Sussex County votes ‘yes’ on whether to cooperate with ICE
Sussex County residents voted “yes” on a ballot question on whether the county should cooperate with Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
News 12 Staff
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Nov 6, 2019, 9:56 PM
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Updated 1,633 days ago
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Sussex County residents voted “yes” on a ballot question on whether the county should cooperate with Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
The question stated, “Should the Board of Chosen Freeholders of Sussex County cooperate with federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to assist in complying with and enforcing federal immigration law by making county resources available to ICE?” The measure passed with 22,081 votes for “yes” and 10,982 votes for no, according to the Sussex County Clerk website.
It is in response to New Jersey Attorney General Gurbir Grewal’s Immigrant Trust Directive, which limits local law enforcement agencies’ cooperation with federal officials on immigration matters.
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Republican Sussex County Sheriff Michael Strada has said in the past that he would ignore Grewal’s directive and work with ICE when necessary. Strada won re-election Tuesday.
Grewal told NorthJersey.com that counties are “free to express its views publicly,” but stated that law enforcement officers across New Jersey may not “ignore a law enforcement directive.”
A majority of Sussex County voters are Republican.
