By Anne Levin
Princeton Council’s meeting on Monday evening, July 14 was dominated by repeated requests for Council to create and pass a resolution supporting the Immigrant Trust Act, (ITA) which is currently pending at the state level.
Standing in line for their turn at the microphone during the public comment period, more than 50 members of the community urged the governing body to follow the example of 13 other municipalities in New Jersey including Trenton, Flemington, Paterson, and Morristown, by passing such a resolution.
Some of the advocates had already expressed their concerns at the June 23 meeting of Council. At that time, some Council members and Mayor Mark Freda responded that they support the Immigrant Trust Directive, which has been in place since 2018 and ensures that victims and witnesses feel safe reporting crimes to local police without fear of deportation. Members of the governing body also said that creating the resolution might bring unwanted attention to the town, making it more of a target for ICE.
But speakers said the resolution is necessary.
“Our goal at Resistencia [en Accion] is to advocate for the safety and dignity of immigrant families in Princeton, many of whom already experience fear, exclusion, and invisibility,” said a member of that advocacy group. “That fear doesn’t come from us. It comes from a national climate that has only gotten more hostile, and from the lack of clear, local response to offer protection or calm those fears.”
Some of the speakers represented advocacy groups such as Resistencia en Accion and the Trenton branch of Democratic Socialists of America. Others were local residents, some of whom choked back tears as they voiced their fears. Graduate students and faculty members from Princeton University expressed support for the ITA. Several of them read testimony from immigrant students afraid to appear. Former New York Times foreign correspondent Chris Hedges, a trauma surgeon, and a bookseller from Labyrinth Books also spoke.
After all of those present and on Zoom had expressed their opinions, Councilwoman Leticia Fraga said she is in favor of the resolution. She addressed the public in Spanish and then in English, assuring them that the town’s CARES (Committee on Affordable Housing, Racial, Economic, Social Equity and Services) committee has been considering the resolution.
“We want to make sure we are very thoughtful and deliberate on the wording of the resolution so whatever we do does not lead to unintended consequences,” she said, adding that the town has a commitment “to continue fostering trust within our community.”