NORTH BRUNSWICK – Mayor Francis “Mac” Womack clarified recent misinformation surrounding visits by agents of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and representatives of the Deportation and Immigration Response to Emergency team.
Womack said that ICE agents have been waiting in the parking lot of the North Brunswick Municipal Building to pick up anyone who may not have the proper citizenship documentation after they leave municipal court.
In response, members of DIRE “plan to go to courts in places around New Jersey to monitor and make sure, as it has been described to me, that people picked up by ICE are done in a respectful and safe way.” Womack said they usually take cell phone video of the interactions to protect those who are being apprehended, and often contact the families to let them know what is taking place. He said they may also hand out literature.
However, Womack assured residents that he has not invited neither ICE nor DIRE to come into town. He said that ICE is a governmental agency that does not alert either township officials nor the police department when agents will be enforcing citizenship laws. He also said that he did not summon DIRE to counteract ICE agents.
“They [DIRE representatives] have a constitutional right to come to assemble and to exercise their free speech around the municipal building, just as ICE has a right to conduct their business in our parking lot,” Womack said.
Womack did note he asked DIRE representatives to speak with the police director to make sure everything was handled safely and without interfering with court or ICE procedures; however, he said that was after DIRE representatives were already expected to arrive in town.
Womack did acknowledge that ICE agents have their job to do, but said, “We hope they’re not going to come inside our municipal building or inside our court and try to detain people.” However, whether or not a person agrees with ICE, he urged that no one interfere with the process.
Womack also said although there are no statistics available on how many residents have been detained by ICE, because those numbers are not provided to the township, he does know of two instances when people walked out of North Brunswick court and were detained. He said that does breed concern of those with offenses not showing up to court for fear of worse consequences.
“We’re afraid people will be hesitant to attend court and not trust the system,” Womack said. “It could deteriorate that kind of faith.”
On another note, Womack also clarified that although reports mentioned him being a member of Seth Kaper-Dale’s Reformed Church of Highland Park, which is leading the DIRE mission, although he has visited a few times, he is not a member.
Contact Jennifer Amato at [email protected].