Former Monmouth County Sheriff and 2017 gubernatorial candidate Kim Guadagno took her battle against Democrat opponent Phil Murphy’s Sanctuary State pledge one step further on Monday, promising to pursue (1) a formal state law banning sanctuary cities in New Jersey and (2) empowering the governor to withhold funds from and/or sanction sanctuary jurisdictions, and (3) compelling local law enforcement to cooperate with federal immigration officials including by running background checks at all New Jersey jails and prisons.
“By making New Jersey a sanctuary state, Phil Murphy is saying he would rather protect dangerous criminals and murderers like Jose Carranza than stand up for the law abiding people of New Jersey,” said Guadagno in a statement. “As a former prosecutor and sheriff, I can tell you that Phil Murphy is seriously misguided and would make New Jerseyans less safe as governor with policies like this. If elected governor, I will pass a law to ban sanctuary cities so politicians can’t prevent law enforcement from turning violent and dangerous criminals over to federal immigration officials for deportation.”
“A governor’s number one responsibility is to keep New Jerseyans safe, and Phil Murphy is already failing that test,” added Carlos Rendo, the Bergen Mayor and Cuban immigrant who is running as Guadagno’s candidate for lieutenant governor. “A sanctuary state doesn’t protect immigrants; it protects the criminal element. Instead of being biased in favor of criminals, our governor must be on the side of the people and law enforcement officers who protect us everyday. Phil Murphy should abandon his promise to make New Jersey a sanctuary state.”
Guadagno has found some momentum late in the race after, during a forum at the Rutgers Eagleton Institute of Politics, Murphy refused to unequivocally promise to deport the likes of Jose Carranza, a convicted felony murderer and accused child rapist.
When asked for him opinion as to when police should notify federal authorities, Murphy gave a non answer, saying, “I’m not sure what the right point of notification is this is,” and adding, “[m]y bias is going to be having their back.”
Carranza’s role in the execution-style murder of Newark student — after he obtained a fake social security number to enter the United State illegally from Peru — is now the subject of a hard-hitting Guadagno attack ad that has stirred debate across the state and brought fresh attention to the issue.
New Jersey will select a successor to Chris Christie on November 7th.
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