JERSEY CITY — Mayor Steve Fulop will sign an executive order tomorrow that his office says will make the city a true “sanctuary city” for immigrants who entered the country illegally.
Fulop told The Jersey Journal on Monday that he was working on the order, soon before a rally on Newark Avenue that attracted more than 1,000 people protesting President Trump’s actions targeting illegal immigration and refugees.
The city did not make the language of the order available in advance. The mayor’s office said it was drafted with the help of immigration groups and the ACLU of New Jersey.
Tomorrow’s ceremony is an unusual step. Fulop generally issues executive orders without any fanfare.
There’s no legal definition of sanctuary city. Generally immigration advocates believe sanctuary cities should not cooperate with federal immigration officials who wish to identify and arrest immigrants who entered the nation illegally.
The City Council has in the last 20 years passed two resolutions designating the city as a “safe haven” for undocumented immigrants, but advocates believe the measures are largely ceremonial.
Trump has also issued an order that says sanctuary cities could lose federal funding. Council President Rolando Lavarro said this week he believes such an order is unconstitutional. San Francisco has already challenged the order.
“It wouldn’t pass legal muster,” Lavarro told The Jersey Journal on Monday. “I intend to fight it every step of the way.”
Fulop is scheduled to sign the order tomorrow at 1 p.m. at City Hall, 280 Grove St.
Terrence T. McDonald may be reached at tmcdonald@jjournal.com. Follow him on Twitter @terrencemcd. Find The Jersey Journal on Facebook.
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