Demand No Transfers and Release Everyone
The passage of this law, which bans new, renewals and expansion of ICE detention contracts, comes after many years of advocacy by detained individuals and their families, community members, and legal organizations to end immigration detention in New Jersey. This law takes effect immediately.
Several AFSC clients reflected on the importance of the newly signed anti-detention law. “I feel really good to know this law is signed and now in NJ we (immigrants) will be safer. I believe that immigrants help build this country and are an important part of the community. Detention centers, like the private Elizabeth Detention Center (EDC), don’t treat immigrants humanely and it is good to know that this law will make it close soon,” said Federico, recently detained at EDC, “I was there, and I hope nobody connects this beautiful state to this kind of place.”
“With the signing of A5207/S3361 into law, New Jersey is taking a critical step in the fight against ICE's campaign to tear our communities apart. Although this law does not shut down current contracts between jails and ICE in New Jersey right away, it puts a clear deadline in the future for when ICE can no longer separate and cage our community members,” said AFSC Detention Legal Assistant Fabiola Davila. “We cannot wait around while these contracts expire and our detained friends languish in these terrible facilities. We have to keep the momentum up by calling for releases, not transfers, of detained people in New Jersey. We have to keep pressuring local and federal governments to close the jails NOW and #FreeThemAll, in New Jersey and across the country”