By Matt Rooney
New Jersey is probably about to become a Sanctuary State by statute, Save Jerseyans, but the state has been a de facto sanctuary jurisdiction for illegal aliens since November 2018. It’s been estimated that there are hundreds of thousands of individuals living in the Garden State without the legal right to be here.
The average estimate is in the 500,000 range. That’s a population roughly the size of Atlanta planted inside a state already buckling under the nation’s highest property taxes.
Where are the highest concentrations of illegals?
Of course no one knows for sure. That’s the point of a sanctuary state! But we have a fairly good idea. For example, according to data from institutions including the U.S. Census and Pew Research, somewhere between 25-30% of New Jersey’s illegal alien population is dispersed between just four cities:
Newark (Essex): approx. 35k–50k
Jersey City (Hudson): approx. 30k–45k
Paterson (Passaic): approx. 25k–40k
Elizabeth (Union): approx. 25k–35k
Unsurprisingly, three of the four cities (Newark, Jersey City and Paterson) were recently sued by the Trump Administration over their sanctuary policies.
What about your home county? Here’s the breakdown:
| Tier | County | Estimated Range | Midpoint |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🔴 1 | Hudson | 90k – 110k | 100k |
| 🔴 1 | Bergen | 70k – 90k | 80k |
| 🔴 1 | Essex | 60k – 80k | 70k |
| 🔴 1 | Middlesex | 50k – 70k | 60k |
| 🟠 2 | Union | 35k – 50k | 42k |
| 🟠 2 | Passaic | 30k – 45k | 38k |
| 🟠 2 | Morris | 20k – 30k | 25k |
| 🟠 2 | Monmouth | 15k – 25k | 20k |
| 🟡 3 | Ocean | 10k – 20k | 15k |
| 🟡 3 | Somerset | 10k – 20k | 15k |
| 🟡 3 | Camden | 10k – 15k | 12k |
| 🟢 4 | Mercer | 8k – 12k | 10k |
| 🟢 4 | Burlington | 5k – 10k | 7k |
| 🟢 4 | Gloucester | 3k – 7k | 5k |
| 🟢 4 | Atlantic | 3k – 7k | 5k |
| 🟢 4 | Cumberland | 3k – 6k | 4k |
| ⚪ 5 | Salem | 1k – 3k | 2k |
| ⚪ 5 | Cape May | 1k – 3k | 2k |
| ⚪ 5 | Sussex | 1k – 3k | 2k |
| ⚪ 5 | Warren | 1k – 3k | 2k |
| ⚪ 5 | Hunterdon | 1k – 3k | 2k |
