New Jersey’s last immigration detention facility can renew its contract with Immigration and Customs Enforcement and remain open in Elizabeth despite a state law banning such agreements, a federal judge ruled Tuesday.
The ruling by U.S. District Judge Robert Kirsch is a blow to detainees and immigrant advocates who for years have complained about conditions at the Elizabeth Detention Center run by CoreCivic. It also interrupts a years-long push by advocates to end ICE detention in New Jersey, which prompted the state law banning public and private entities from renewing or entering into detention contracts with the federal agency.
“While we are bitterly disappointed in today’s decision, we also know this is not the final step,” said Amy Torres, executive director of the New Jersey Alliance for Immigrant Justice.
The law, signed by Gov. Phil Murphy in August 2021, effectively banned CoreCivic, which has run the private immigrant jail in Elizabeth for 20 years, from renewing its ICE contract that expires in two days. CoreCivic took the state to court and on Tuesday a judge said New Jersey could not enforce the law against the company.
“The statute is a dagger aimed at the heart of the federal government’s immigration enforcement mission and operations,” Kirsch wrote in his ruling.
He said it’s the federal government’s responsibility to enforce civil immigration law, and without the Elizabeth Detention Center — which can hold about 300 detainees and is the only ICE facility within 60 miles of New York City — officials would have nowhere to hold individuals.
“We appreciate that we had the opportunity to present our positions to the court and are grateful that we have the privilege of continuing to support the vital mission of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Department of Homeland Security,” said Ryan Gustin, a spokesman for CoreCivic.
A spokesperson for Immigration and Customs Enforcement didn’t immediately respond to a…
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