Residents press county to limit ICE cooperation; commissioners say county lacks authority and will not become sanctuary

Residents used the public comment period on June 17 to urge the Hunterdon County Board of Commissioners to take local steps limiting cooperation with Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Speakers asked the board to restrict information sharing, refuse ICE access to local jails without judicial warrants, prohibit participation in certain agreements, and support state legislation to limit local cooperation.

Alicia Lervin, a Lambertville resident who identified herself as serving on local nonprofit boards, said the community is frightened by recent enforcement actions and called on the county to "speak out against that illegal, disappearing of folks" and to protect civil liberties. Sharon Grama Savage, a long‑time resident of Flemington, testified that people in her borough are living in a state of terror and urged the board, as influential local officials, to act.

During the same public comment period, Guy Citron asked the board for an opinion on pending federal legislation and the county's role. Director Lanza and members of the board responded on the record that federal immigration policy is controlled at the federal level and that county government has limited authority over immigration enforcement. The board reiterated that it does not direct federal agencies and that it is not the role of county government to make federal immigration law.

On the question of local policy, the board chair stated it would not adopt a sanctuary county policy and would not obstruct federal enforcement, while also saying the county opposes violations of individuals' constitutional rights. The chair emphasized the separate roles of county, state and federal government: "We have no police power in this county" with respect to federal immigration enforcement, a point the chair repeated in response to repeated public requests.

Public commenters listed concrete legal steps counties can take (information‑sharing limits, detainer response policies, database restrictions and refusing ICE access absent warrants). Those suggestions were recorded as public comment; the board did not adopt any of the proposed local legal restrictions during the meeting.

The exchange highlights ongoing tensions between residents seeking local protections for immigrants and county officials reiterating the limits of county authority over federal immigration operations.