Republican lawmakers in New Jersey are criticizing Democratic Governor Mikie Sherrill's immigration policies following a crash where a driver, believed to be undocumented and fleeing federal immigration authorities, collided with and injured the wife of a local mayor. The incident occurred on September 2 in North Brunswick when Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers attempted a vehicle stop.
According to ICE, the driver of an Acura refused to exit the vehicle and fled at a high speed when officers tried to remove him, ultimately running a red light and crashing into a Tesla driven by Dr. Penelope Cohen, wife of East Brunswick Mayor Brad Cohen. Dr. Cohen sustained a leg injury and was hospitalized. The driver fled on foot but was apprehended by ICE shortly after. The driver has not been publicly identified but remains in ICE custody pending removal proceedings.
Republican Assemblyman Paul Kanitra stated that the crash is a consequence of New Jersey's status as a "sanctuary" state, a policy codified under Governor Sherrill. "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 argued that Democrats are unwilling to take responsibility for the outcomes of their policies.
Republican State Senator Mike Testa also weighed in, suggesting that the state's policies, specifically the Immigrant Trust Directive, embolden illegal immigrants to engage in illegal behavior. He highlighted that the driver was fleeing federal authorities when the crash occurred.
New Jersey's Immigrant Trust Directive, signed into law by Governor Sherrill on March 25, limits the extent to which state and local law enforcement can cooperate with federal immigration authorities. The directive generally prohibits New Jersey police from stopping, questioning, arresting, searching, or detaining individuals solely based on their immigration status. It also restricts local participation in federal civil immigration enforcement operations. However, the policy does not prevent New Jersey police from enforcing state criminal laws, complying with judicial warrants, or cooperating in cases involving serious offenders.
ICE confirmed in a statement that their officers conducted a vehicle stop during a targeted enforcement operation. They stated that the individual refused to comply with lawful commands, and officers attempted to remove him for officer safety reasons. The subsequent flight and collision were acknowledged by ICE.
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