Hudson County adopts executive order, resolution to bar federal immigration enforcement from county property

Hudson County on Tuesday approved an executive order and a companion resolution intended to prohibit federal immigration enforcement activity on county-owned, leased or operated property. County Executive Craig Guy asked the board to back the move as a way to protect immigrant and vulnerable residents.

"I'm asking you to join with me ... in approving with your body an executive order banning federal immigration authorities from county owned properties," Guy said during the meeting, adding the step is intended to shield residents from "harassment and threats." The board then introduced and adopted a resolution opposing "unlawful enforcement tactics" by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and similar federal agencies.

The measures passed by voice vote after sponsors agreed to list "the board as a whole" as the formal sponsor. Commissioners voiced support during the roll call; the chair indicated the executive order and resolution would be distributed publicly once signed.

Public speakers at the meeting welcomed the action but pressed for more than symbolic protections. Courtney Walker, a Jersey City resident who said she has repeatedly requested county action since July, said she appreciated the executive order but criticized the lack of advance public notice and documentation. "The executive order was announced today... We haven't seen it in writing," she said.

County staff and the sheriff's office told the board they will establish written internal policies to document any interaction between county sheriff's officers and outside federal agencies. Jeremy, identified as chief of internal affairs for the sheriff's office, summarized the office's commitment: "We will ensure that all of our officers comply with the attorney general's directive with the immigration trust act. Any interaction that the county sheriff's officer has with an outside agency ... will be documented in a report memorialized." The county said those records will be available through public records requests when created.

Commissioners and advocates also urged creation of a task force or standing committee to coordinate community groups, service providers and county departments so that protections are paired with humanitarian supports such as food distribution and family assistance, and to clarify enforcement and reporting procedures. County counsel and staff cautioned that specific enforcement actions on federal agents implicate complex jurisdictional and constitutional issues; they said the forthcoming sheriff's policies will outline what may be asked of county personnel on county property.

Next steps the board described include circulating the signed executive order and resolution publicly, asking the sheriff's office to finalize a reporting policy (commissioners asked that policy be ready by the next caucus meeting), and forming a joint task force with community advocates to develop supports for affected families.