New Jersey's sanctuary policies are facing renewed criticism following a crash on a major highway that injured the wife of East Brunswick Mayor Brad Cohen. The incident occurred when a vehicle, driven by an individual fleeing Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents, collided with another car after running a stoplight.
State Sen. Mike Testa and Assemb. Paul Kanitra, both Republicans, have argued that the "Trust Directive," signed into law by Gov. Mikie Sherrill, creates public safety risks by limiting local police cooperation with ICE. They contend that such policies embolden individuals to engage in illegal behavior, including fleeing federal authorities.
"This is just the latest in a long line of traffic incidents and vehicular incidents that wouldn't occur if New Jersey didn't have our sanctuary status that got codified as soon as Gov. Sherrill came into office," Kanitra told Fox News Digital. He added that Democrats are unable to take accountability for the chaos created by these policies.
The crash on Wednesday involved an individual who fled a targeted ICE operation in North Brunswick, according to an ICE spokesperson. The suspect drove onto U.S. Route 130 at high speed and collided with another vehicle, injuring one of its occupants, who was identified as the wife of Mayor Cohen.
"After repeated verbal warnings and due to officer safety concerns, ICE officers relied on their training and attempted to safely remove the illegal alien [from their car]. The illegal alien then proceeded to flee at a high rate of speed and collided with other vehicles," the ICE spokesperson confirmed.
Testa stated that the incident highlights the importance of interagency cooperation agreements, such as the 287(g) program, which allows local law enforcement to partner with ICE. He noted that his district's counties, including Cape May and Monmouth, had unsuccessfully advocated for such agreements.
In contrast to Republican criticism, Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman, D-N.J., whose district includes the area of the crash, tweeted, "Today, it appears an ICE involved car chase resulted in an accident involving the wife of the Mayor of East Brunswick. Abolish ICE."
Testa criticized Watson Coleman's response, saying it demonstrates a tendency among some Democrats to target federal immigration enforcement rather than the individual involved in the incident. "This is just another example of lawlessness. And sadly, there's been a stamp of approval from radical leftists like Congresswoman Bonnie Watson Coleman saying ICE should be abolished rather than actually punishing the criminal that put multiple citizens' lives at risk," Testa said.
Kanitra also referenced prior incidents in his district, including one where an individual allegedly drove a vehicle into a family outside a supermarket, resulting in the death of an infant. He expressed frustration with what he described as a lack of accountability from Democrats regarding the consequences of sanctuary policies.