The New Jersey chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-NJ), a chapter of the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, expressed deep disappointment with outgoing Governor Phil Murphy on his final day in office for enacting only one of the three bills included in the Immigrant Protections Package.
While Governor Murphy signed the Safe Communities Act (A6308/S5036), he pocket-vetoed the Immigrant Trust Directive (A6310/S5038) and the Privacy Protection Act (A6309/S5037), weakening the comprehensive framework for trust and accountability overwhelmingly approved by the Legislature. The Safe Communities Act protects sensitive locations, such as schools and places of worship, from ICE enforcement. The vetoed measures, however, were intended to safeguard data privacy and guarantee due process for immigrant communities.
The Immigrant Protections Package was designed to function as a unified system. By vetoing its trust and privacy provisions, the Murphy administration fractured that system.
In a statement, CAIR-NJ Government Affairs Associate Maheen Mumtaz said:
“Governor Murphy had the chance to fully stand with immigrant communities and chose not to,” said Maheen Mumtaz, Government Affairs Associate at CAIR-NJ. “These pocket vetoes undermine trust and leave families exposed to the very surveillance and data abuses these bills were meant to prevent.”
As Governor Mikie Sherrill is sworn into office today, CAIR-NJ calls on her administration to move swiftly to advance the remaining elements of the Immigrant Protections Package and address the harm left by the previous administration.
“Governor Sherrill now has both the opportunity and the responsibility to complete the work the Legislature began and deliver the comprehensive protections immigrant communities were promised,” Mumtaz added.
CAIR’s mission is to protect civil rights, enhance understanding of Islam, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.
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CONTACT: CAIR-NJ Executive Director Selaedin Maksut, smaksut@cair.com, 862-264-9414