For years now, immigrant advocacy groups have  been calling for New Jersey to shut down its detention centers and end its contract with ICE. In response the Hudson County Freeholders have dragged their feet, claiming that they worry this action will send detainees to centers in other states, far from their loved ones and with less oversight. But a comment from Hudson County Freeholder Chair Anthony Vainieri makes clear that the freeholders are motivated by wallets, not by any real concern for the lives of those held in their county prison. Defending the contract with ICE, Vainieri asked: “Why don’t you call the 12 mayors in the county and ask them if they want their county taxes raised?” Such questions reveal the motivations of the Freeholders for what they are: a desire to continue receiving blood money, filling the county coffers with millions, while innocent asylum seekers rot away. We need to keep the contract with ICE, not because we want to “protect” detainees from exile to other states, but because if we break it, our county offices might not get those new carpets, and our county parks might not get new playground equipment.If innocent people, who have committed no crimes die by the dozens of COVID while in detention at least we know they did their jobs in keeping our county taxes from rising!

At least we know the truth now.