Resident presses Ridgewood to reject ICE cooperation; police cite state 'Immigrant Trust Directive' limits

A Ridgewood resident urged the Village Council to adopt a resolution opposing local cooperation with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and asked whether the Ridgewood Police Department had been or would be asked to assist ICE.

Resident Dana Glaser told the council she and others were "deeply concerned about ICE and how it could impact our community" and asked whether ICE had reached out for cooperation and how the village would respond. She asked the council to consider a resolution to reassure immigrant residents.

Village Manager (Keith) replied that the topic has been discussed internally since the previous fall and that the Ridgewood Police Department, like other municipal departments in New Jersey, is accountable to the state attorney general's office. He introduced Captain Glenn Anderson, who addressed the council and the public.

Captain Glenn Anderson explained the Attorney General's guidance known in the meeting as the "Immigrant Trust Directive" (issued in 2018 and revised in February 2019). Anderson said the directive is intended to strengthen trust between law enforcement and immigrant communities and that it places four specific limits on municipal police: officers may not stop, question, arrest, search, or detain individuals solely based on actual or suspected immigration status; officers may not inquire about immigration status unless it is necessary and relevant to an ongoing investigation of a serious offense; municipal officers may not participate in ICE civil immigration enforcement operations; and police may not provide ICE with access to state or local law enforcement resources such as equipment, office space, databases or property. Anderson said Ridgewood officers have been trained on the directive and that the department follows it.

Village Attorney Matt Rogers clarified for the record that there is no statutory requirement for the council or staff to answer every question asked during a public hearing; the administration said they would collect public questions and provide responses after the hearing.

Glaser told the council she remains concerned about reports of alleged federal overreach and asked the village to take action similar to other New Jersey municipalities that have adopted protective resolutions. The council did not adopt a new resolution during the meeting; officials said the department follows state attorney-general guidance and that Captain Anderson had reviewed the department's practices publicly.

No formal action or ordinance was taken at the meeting on immigration policy, but staff noted they had previously discussed the topic and the police captain agreed to take notes on resident concerns and answer operational questions about signage and traffic elsewhere in the meeting.