In Newark, New Jersey’s largest city, Mayor Ras Baraka stood with immigrant rights advocates to challenge the Trump administration’s agreement with a private firm to establish a new immigration detention center— the first of its kind under the president’s second term.
Baraka criticized the policy, asserting that citizens do not support detaining individuals simply for striving for U.S. citizenship. As one of six Democratic candidates in New Jersey’s gubernatorial race this year, Baraka has taken a strong stance on this contentious topic, distinguishing himself from others who have either aligned more with Trump’s immigration policies or prioritized issues like the economy and high living costs.
This diversity in approach could make New Jersey’s June primary a strategic test for Democrats navigating immigration issues. Should the stringent approach succeed in liberal-leaning New Jersey, it could force Democrats elsewhere to reevaluate their strategies to attract their core supporters. The detention center debate marks Newark’s second prominent immigration clash since Trump’s inauguration, following January ICE arrests, with Baraka seeking to establish his own policy direction.
Baraka believes voters oppose indiscriminate crackdowns on undocumented immigrants, advocating instead for protecting constitutional rights and establishing a legitimate path to citizenship. He argues that focusing solely on criminality does not necessitate widespread detention of people pursuing better lives, leaving Democrats pondering how his approach might influence the primary election and beyond.
The Democratic candidacy field includes two congressional representatives, the mayors of the state’s largest cities, the president of the biggest teachers’ union, and a former legislative leader with a blue-collar background. Despite differing priorities, immigration remains a significant concern for voters in 2024, forming a core component of the current administration’s agenda, suggests Micah Rasmussen from Rider University’s Rebovich Institute for New Jersey Politics. Rasmussen notes, “Voters reward bold decisiveness over indecision.”
Not every candidate in this contest to replace term-limited Democrat Phil Murphy as governor mirrors Baraka’s left-leaning stance. Former State Senate President Steve Sweeney urges Democrats to renounce sanctuary state measures and return to listening to ordinary citizens. Meanwhile, some candidates are focusing on economic issues, such as New Jersey’s high property taxes, with Representative Josh Gottheimer running to be the “lower taxes” governor. On immigration, Gottheimer supported the border agreement dismissed by Republicans and endorsed the Laken Riley Act, mandating detention for undocumented individuals accused of theft and violent crimes.
Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop, promoting his city’s progressive achievements like raising the minimum wage to $15 and distancing from local party influences, criticized the Laken Riley Act as undermining state leadership. New Jersey Education Association President Sean Spiller, supported by his influential union, prioritizes economic improvements for the working class while condemning the Trump administration’s treatment of immigrants.
Representative Mikie Sherrill, a former prosecutor and Navy pilot, emphasizes balancing stronger border security to curb fentanyl trafficking with establishing a citizenship pathway for contributing immigrants. This gubernatorial race introduces a change from New Jersey’s unique ballot practice where party bosses could grant prime placement to preferred candidates, a system ended by a lawsuit Senator Andy Kim filed during his Senate run last year.
On the Republican side, candidates are largely unified in supporting the president’s policies with exceptions, such as State Sen. Jon Bramnick, who argues that the president’s stances might hinder the GOP’s success in a Democrat-majority state. Other contenders include former Assemblyman Jack Ciattarelli, nearly victorious against Murphy in 2021, former State Sen. Ed Durr, radio host Bill Spadea, and previous Englewood Cliffs Mayor Mario Kranjac.
Republicans sense potential Democratic vulnerability regarding immigration, even finding traction among Trump skeptics that oppose sanctuary policies hindering local law enforcement cooperation with federal immigration authorities. Despite lacking a U.S. Senate win in New Jersey for half a century, Republicans have found gubernatorial success with figures like Chris Christie, Christine Todd Whitman, and Tom Kean Sr., each securing two terms.
