Simonsen, McClellan Blast NJ ICE Tracking Portal as “Dangerous and Irresponsible”
Trenton, NJ — Assemblymen Erik Simonsen and Antwan McClellan today sharply criticized the State of New Jersey’s newly launched portal encouraging residents to upload videos and report Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activity, calling it dangerous, irresponsible, and misplaced, particularly at a time when the state appears to be doing more to track law enforcement than to address illegal immigrants who are committing crimes.
“This portal is reckless,” said Assemblyman Simonsen. “It places a target on law enforcement officers and risks pulling everyday New Jerseyans into the middle of dangerous federal investigations, while offering no comparable tool for reporting illegal immigrants who are committing violent or dangerous crimes in our communities.”
The lawmakers pointed to a recent incident in Roxbury as an example of the risks officers face during enforcement operations. According to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, ICE agents were conducting a targeted arrest of Jesus Fabian Lopez-Banegas, a Honduran national with a criminal history that includes drug trafficking, drug possession, and DUI charges, who was subject to a 2021 removal order.
DHS reports that during the arrest, Lopez-Banegas allegedly rammed a law enforcement vehicle and attempted to run an officer over, prompting an ICE officer to fire at the vehicle’s tires to stop the threat. No injuries were reported, and the suspect was taken into custody.
“This portal risks creating a climate of vigilantism where residents are encouraged to insert themselves into dangerous law enforcement situations. That is not public safety. That is a recipe for escalation, confusion, and harm to bystanders” added Assemblyman McClellan.
They also warned that the portal could inadvertently place civilians in harm’s way by encouraging them to document and share footage of active enforcement operations.
”Recent events in Minnesota, where immigration-related operations were followed by unrest and tragic loss of life, are a sobering reminder that when division takes over, communities suffer.
”As people of faith, we are called to value human dignity, uphold justice, and seek peace in times of conflict. Immigration is a national challenge, but it touches our neighborhoods and our families. We cannot allow extreme policies drive us further apart. We need leaders willing to come together, lower the temperature, protect public safety, and uphold the rule of law while remembering the humanity at the heart of this issue,” Assemblymen Simonsen and McClellan said.