Politics & Government
Assemblyman Wants Englewood Declared A Sanctuary City
Johnson said, 'we must stand together in support of our diverse families.'
ENGLEWOOD, NJ — A state assemblyman is asking city officials to protect its residents against possible profiling and institutional discrimination.
Assemblyman Gordon J. Johnson (D-37) wants the City Council to declare Englewood a sanctuary city. Johnson made the request at the City Council's meeting Monday.
"We betray our American values if we allow families to be torn apart to face an uncertain future," Johnson said in a statement. "Let's remember the painful lessons of Black History Month and never allow another shameful period in the history of our country. We must stand together in support of our diverse families."
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Some North Jersey municipalities, including Maplewood and East Orange, have passed sanctuary resolutions in the wake of President Donald Trump's election.
“As we head towards a presidency that has pledged to deport millions of undocumented immigrants, we need to take action to defend our immigrant communities,” said Craig Garcia, political director of New Jersey Working Families, a local advocacy group. “New Jersey Working Families and our partners are ready to work with communities across the state to protect residents again the xenophobia and bigotry of the Trump administration.”
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Neither Mayor Frank Huttle III nor could any member of the City Council be immediately be reached for comment via email Friday.
The New York metropolitan area is home to nearly 1.2 million of the nation's 11.1 undocumented migrants, according to a report released by the Pew Research Center on Thursday.
Pew's new report shows the extent to which undocumented immigrants have clustered in the nation's urban areas.
The report relies on population data from 2014. It estimates that 61 percent of undocumented immigrants in the U.S. reside in just 20 metro areas.
Additional reporting by Ciara McCarthy
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