Beware illegal immigrants in NJ!
Aug 31st, 2007 | By Michael L. Saile, Jr., Esq. | Category: Blogs, Criminal & TrafficLast week, the NJ Attorney General set forth new guidelines for how NJ law enforcement should deal with criminal suspects that are in this country illegally. Now, any NJ police officer who arrests someone for a serious type offense including any indictable crime or NJ DUI-DWI must inquire about the arrestee’s citizenship, nationality, and immigration status.
If the arrestee is believed to be “illegal” the NJ police officer must notify the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The NJ police officer must also notify the county prosecutor and the court of the arrestee’s illegal status.
The NJ Attorney General did state that any victim, witness, potential witness, and anyone seeking police assistance should not be asked about their citizenship, nationality, and immigration status. This is so that people (even illegals) should be free to seek assistance of NJ law enforcement.
Not only does this new directive affect illegal immigrants, but now police officers have the extra burden of reporting the incident to other authorities. I am sure that most police officers are not happy about this new procedure.
Immigration laws are a current hot topic for debate. What do you think about this new NJ law enforcement directive?
See a full copy of the Directive here: Attorney General Directive
The author of this Law Blog, Bucks County PA & Mercer County, NJ criminal attorney, Michael L. Saile, Jr., Esq. of Saile & Saile LLP, Attorneys-at-Law practices both New Jersey and Pennsylvania criminal, traffic violations, and DUI/DWI/DAI law. Check out our website for DUI penalties. We handle all NJ Municipal Court cases including DUI in the following NJ Municipal Courts: Hopewell Township, Ewing Township, Trenton, Lawrence Township, Hamilton, Pennington, and other Mercer County, Burlington County, and Camden County, NJ courts. We also handle lower bucks county DUI and traffic violation cases in the following towns: Bensalem, Southampton, Richboro, Newtown, Levittown, Langhorne, Doylestown, Warminster, Trevose, Feasterville, Warrington, Bristol, Fallsington, Morrisville, Yardley, New Hope, Holland, Washington Crossing, PA, and other Bucks County courts. We handle DUI cases in Philadelphia, Bucks, Chester, Delaware, and Montgomery County, PA. We are located just outside of Philadelphia in lower Bucks County.
I have witnessed in a Municipal Court , for ilegals who were ticketed for being unlicensed dirvers and other traffic offenses, the Judge basicaly offering the ilegals a pass on the charge if they are willing to register with the immigaration office and come back to the Court with proof of this.
The Judge stated it is more important to get these ilegal immigrants registered with the government then it is to find them guilty of motor vehivcle charges.
Mr Saile, have you heard of this?
The Court I witnessed it in was Freehold Township Municipal Court. I made several appearances there on a charge that was eventualy dropped.
Freehold and Freehold Township has a lot of cases with hispanic immigrants.
Throckmorton Steet in Freehold Boro , along the rail road tracks, is where hundreds of immigrants stand everyday to get picked up for day labor type of work. They live in the area and also commute to Freehold as far away as Staten Island and other States.
There was I belive a Court case concerning the police rousting them from the area, and the immigrants won the right to be there.
I think it is OK. They do get picked up for work and that is good I believe!
From what I can see, immigrants , ilegal or legal, are extremely hard working people! I stand by this.
Jim