MORRIS COUNTY — On Tuesday, February 11, we received reports that Immigrations and Customs Enforcement officers had been arrested outside of a local business in Morristown. This action was not communicated to our Morristown Police Department or to our local government. We are still seeking information about the incident, which was captured on video and posted on social media. The Morristown Police Department, like all other local and state law enforcement agencies, adheres to the directives established by the New Jersey State Attorney General’s Office regarding immigration matters, which means that we do not assist ICE or participate in any immigration enforcement activities.
I want to be clear to Morristown residents that we value and respect our local immigrant community and will do everything in our power to ensure their rights are respected and treated with dignity and humanity during this uncertain time. Immigration is a sensitive and politically charged matter. While I believe we can all agree that violent criminals do not belong in our community regardless of their immigration status, we must also stand together to ensure that law-abiding immigrants who are contributing to our society are treated fairly. We will closely monitor this situation and work with our Hispanic community leaders, church congregations, nonprofits, and other organizations to support our immigrant community.
Respectfully,
Mayor Timothy Dougherty and the Town of Morristown.
