DeCROCE ASKS ATTORNEY GENERAL TO DIRECT LAW ENFORCEMENT TO REPORT ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS WHO COMMIT CRIMES

SAYS FEDERAL GOVERNMENT MUST BE NOTIFIED WHEN AN ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT IS ARRESTED

Assembly Republican Leader Alex DeCroce today sent a letter to Attorney General Anne Milgram asking that she issue a directive to State Police and local law enforcement that when an individual who is in this country illegally is arrested in connection with criminal activity that person’s immigration status must be reported to federal authorities.

“You have the power, as our state’s top law enforcement official, to issue a directive to our State Police, and also to urge our local law enforcement officers, that if an individual is arrested in connection with criminal activity, and it is discovered that this person is an illegal alien, that individual’s illegal immigrant status should be immediately reported to the proper federal authorities,” writes DeCroce, R-Morris and Passaic. “This letter is to request that you exercise that authority and issue this directive as soon as possible.”

DeCroce writes that it is simply unacceptable that we have “sanctuary cities” where elected officials and law enforcement pledge to essentially “look the other way” as to an individual’s illegal immigrant status.

A copy of the letter is attached.

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The Honorable Anne Milgram

Attorney General

Office of the Attorney

General Richard J. Hughes Justice Complex

P.O. Box 080 Trenton, NJ  08625  

Dear Attorney General Milgram:  

We are all now painfully aware of the tragic circumstances surrounding the events of August 4, 2007 when four of our state’s young people, all with bright futures ahead of them, were attacked in a senseless act of violence in a Newark school yard. 

This crime, during which the three young people who died were forced to kneel against a wall and shot at close range, was allegedly committed by Jose Carranza.

It appears that Carranza is an illegal immigrant who had already been indicted twice this year on aggravated assault and weapons charges, and additional counts that included aggravated sexual assault of a child under 13. 

From news reports it appears that prosecutors in those cases apparently did not notify federal authorities of Carranza’s immigration status and may not even have bothered to check. 

I know that you are as appalled by this crime as I am, and that you will agree with me that we should do everything in our power to prevent these types of tragedies in the future. 

One step that I believe is essential to preventing future incidents like this one, is that local authorities should be directed to enforce our nation’s immigration laws. At the very least this should mean reporting known illegal immigrants to federal authorities. 

The idea the we have “sanctuary cities” where elected officials and law enforcement pledge to essentially “look the other way” as to an individual’s illegal immigrant status is simply unacceptable to me. 

You have the power, as our state’s top law enforcement official, to issue a directive to our State Police, and also to urge our local law enforcement officers, that if an individual is arrested in connection with criminal activity, and it is discovered that this person is an illegal alien, that individual’s illegal immigrant status should be immediately reported to the proper federal authorities. 

This letter is to request that you exercise that authority and issue this directive as soon as possible.

If you would like to discuss this matter further, I would be more than happy to meet with you or talk by phone. This is a critical public safety issue, and I look forward to working with you on this matter.

Thank you in advance for your prompt attention to this letter. 

Sincerely,

Alex DeCroce

Assembly Republican Leader 

cc. U.S. Attorney Christopher Christie