Residents urge Monroe Council to endorse state 'Immigrant Trust Act'; council says it will review

Dozens of residents and community advocates used the Oct. 6 public-comment period at the Monroe Township Council meeting to press the council to back the Immigrant Trust Act now before the New Jersey Legislature and to codify protections in the Attorney General’s 2018 immigrant‑trust directive.

Speakers — including Peter Economou, a Monroe resident; Jenny Pisaki, a social worker with Jewish Family Services; and community organizers and volunteers — described cases they said showed immigrants' fear of deportation and urged the council to pass a resolution affirming Monroe’s support. “This piece of legislation will codify and expand the state directive…which limits local law enforcement from collaborating with federal immigration authorities beyond what is required by law,” said Peter Economou, a Monroe resident who led the initial petition for a local resolution during the meeting.

Social-service professionals told the council they had seen people and families frightened to report crimes, seek medical help, or attend school because of concerns about immigration enforcement. Jenny Pisaki, who identified herself as a social worker and said she works at Jewish Family Services, said she receives reports that teams from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) have been active in the area and warned that notices are being distributed suggesting people “self-deport.” She said that tactic further discourages victims and witnesses from engaging with police and social services.

Speakers described the proposed Immigrant Trust Act as a public-safety measure that would protect trust between immigrant communities and local law enforcement; they also framed it as a protection for families, citing examples of children separated from parents. Several speakers urged the council to follow actions taken by other municipalities that have adopted resolutions in favor of similar legislation.

Council members did not vote on a resolution at the meeting. During the public-comment exchange a council member stated that the council “will review the Immigrant Trust Act,” and at the close of the meeting one council member said privately that, speaking for himself, he would “strongly and unabashedly support the immigration trust action.” No formal motion or vote to place a resolution on a future agenda was made during the meeting.

Why it matters

Supporters say codifying the Attorney General’s directive into state law would preserve public safety by ensuring undocumented residents can report crimes and cooperate with police without fear that local resources will be used primarily for immigration enforcement. Opponents of similar measures in other jurisdictions have raised concerns about legal conflicts with federal authorities; that question was discussed in public comments but no formal legal analysis was presented at this meeting.

What comes next

Speakers left copies of draft resolutions with the clerk. Council members said they would review the legislation and public comments; no council action was taken at the Oct. 6 meeting to adopt or to place a resolution on a future agenda.