“The lawsuit against Newark is absurd. We are not standing in the way of public safety. We are upholding the Constitution, providing oversight, and following the laws and guidelines of the State of New Jersey. Nothing in our policies prevents law enforcement from doing their jobs. What we refuse to do is turn our city into an arm of federal immigration enforcement, which the courts have already ruled is not our role.
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“The comments about safety are not only offensive, they are lies meant to create political scapegoats. Immigrants are far more likely to be victims of crimes than perpetrators, and there is no evidence whatsoever that sanctuary policies make communities less safe. In fact, the opposite is true – we have reduced homicides by 61 percent since I became Mayor. So our policies aren’t just legal, they’re working.
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“When people are not living in fear, they are more likely to report crimes, access healthcare, and engage with the institutions meant to protect them. That makes all of us safer.
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“We will continue to do what we have always done, protect the rights of all our residents, stand on constitutional ground, and reject fear-based politics that divide communities rather than strengthen them.”

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