Ahead of next week’s Nov. 4 elections, America’s Voice has assembled a brief immigration primer on two of the most-watched contests in the country: the gubernatorial races in New Jersey and Virginia.
NEW JERSEY
New Jersey’s Democratic gubernatorial nominee, U.S. Representative Mikie Sherrill, supports a pathway to citizenship while the Republican nominee, former state representative Jack Ciattarelli, does not. He supports what he calls a “pathway to recognition” that only seeks to give identification cards. Sherrill supports the Immigrant Trust Directive and would seek to ban federal immigration agents hiding their identities by wearing masks. Ciattarelli opposes the Immigrant Trust Directive and so-called “sanctuary city” policies. He has stayed silent on masked federal immigration agents in New Jersey.
WHERE DOES REP. MIKIE SHERRILL (D) STAND ON THE ISSUES?
- PATHWAY TO CITIZENSHIP
- Sherrill has said “‘basic humanity’ is often missing from immigration debates, calling for ‘comprehensive immigration reform’ and a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants,” NBC News
- In 2019 and 2021, Sherrill voted for the American Dream and Promise Act, which sought to permanently protect Dreamers and other temporary status holders. In 2019 and 2021, Sherrill also voted for the Farm Workforce Modernization Act, which sought to ensure protections for farmworkers who feed us. Both bills stalled in the GOP-controlled Senate
- ICE ENFORCEMENT AND DETENTION
- Sherrill has said she would seek to ban federal immigration agents from covering their faces during enforcement operations if elected,
- “‘I heard from one police officer who said that somebody came into his town and, as he put it, was looking like he was dressed for Afghanistan and refused to identify himself,’ she said, repeating a story she’s told numerous times on the campaign trail. ‘So that’s unacceptable. We need to know who is on our streets here in New Jersey.’”
- Sherill has expressed concern about immigration enforcement agents abusing their power and violating constitutional rights.
- “I think people are very concerned about whether agents are following the law and the Constitution. They’re hearing about raids where there are no warrants. They’re hearing about kids coming home from school and no parents being there. That is really upsetting people.”
- Sherill has expressed concern about the privatization of immigration detention to the detriment of immigrants and the benefit of wealthy megadonors.
- “The Trump administration is treating our broken immigration system as a piggy bank for their corporate donors, with a complete and total disregard for health and safety or communities like Newark that vehemently oppose a private detention center like this one in their backyard. This isn’t what New Jersey stands for.”
- Sherrill has said she would seek to ban federal immigration agents from covering their faces during enforcement operations if elected,
- IMMIGRANT TRUST DIRECTIVE
- Sherrill has been vague about the Immigrant Trust Directive, which “restricts when state and local law enforcement can assist federal immigrant agents and from asking someone’s citizenship status if it’s not related to an investigation,” the New Jersey Monitor said.
- When asked during a fall gubernatorial debate “whether the directive would remain in place if she becomes governor in January, she declined to answer.”
- “What I’m going to do is make sure we’re following the law and the Constitution, so that’ll include due process rights and the Constitution.”
- “I am a federal prosecutor,” she said at a New Jersey Policemen’s Benevolent Association event this past summer. “I’m the only one in this race who’s actually deported people for breaking the law. And I get that, that’s what I do. That’s what many of us want to see.”
- “We don’t want lawbreakers here. But at the same time, we also need our officers to follow the law, and that’s what I’ll require. Following the law and the Constitution.”
- When asked during a fall gubernatorial debate “whether the directive would remain in place if she becomes governor in January, she declined to answer.”
- Sherrill has been vague about the Immigrant Trust Directive, which “restricts when state and local law enforcement can assist federal immigrant agents and from asking someone’s citizenship status if it’s not related to an investigation,” the New Jersey Monitor said.
WHERE DOES FORMER STATE REP. JACK CIATTARELLI (R) STAND ON THE ISSUES?
- PATHWAY TO CITIZENSHIP
- Ciattarelli has said that he supports “a pathway to recognition” rather than a pathway to citizenship. He explained that everyone else should be put on a pathway to recognition with a government-issued ID so people aren’t in the shadows or working under false Social Security numbers.”
- ICE ENFORCEMENT AND DETENTION
- Ciattarelli has remained silent on the presence of masked federal agents in New Jersey.
- IMMIGRANT TRUST DIRECTIVE
- Ciattarelli is a fervent opponent to the Immigrant Trust Directive. When asked in the first gubernatorial debate about the policy, he said, “I’ve said it every single day I’m out on the campaign trail. I believe the Immigrant Trust Directive, us having sanctuary cities, us being a sanctuary state, only encourages illegal immigration and restricts our local law enforcement in a number of different ways”.
- On his campaign website it states that Ciattarelli “will repeal the Immigrant Trust Directive (Sanctuary State policy) and ban municipalities from declaring themselves Sanctuary Cities. Those who disobey could have municipal aid withheld from Trenton until they comply.”
- Ciattarelli is a fervent opponent to the Immigrant Trust Directive. When asked in the first gubernatorial debate about the policy, he said, “I’ve said it every single day I’m out on the campaign trail. I believe the Immigrant Trust Directive, us having sanctuary cities, us being a sanctuary state, only encourages illegal immigration and restricts our local law enforcement in a number of different ways”.
VIRGINIA
Virginia will be voting for its first female governor in the upcoming election. The Democratic nominee, former U.S. Representative Abigail Spanberger, has a history of supporting a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants, specifically youth. She does not support current Governor Glenn Youngkin’s Executive Order 47 requiring local law enforcement to work with federal immigration agents to carry out deportations. The Republican nominee, Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears, has not commented on a pathway to citizenship. She has spoken out against sanctuary cities and its policies and supports Gov. Youngkin’s executive order.
WHERE DOES REP. ABIGAIL SPANBERGER (D) STAND ON THE ISSUES?
- PATHWAY TO CITIZENSHIP
- In Congress, Spanberger has voted numerous times on creating a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants and reforming the “broken” immigration system. However, on the campaign trail this year, she has not been as vocal on the issue of permanent relief.
- In both 2019 and 2021, Spanberger voted to pass the Dream and Promise Act, which would have created a pathway to conditional residency for immigrant youth and eventual citizenship.
- In 2022, Spanberger sent a letter to the Senate Democratic leadership urging them to pass a legislation to give permanent legal status and a path to citizenship for Dreamers, young people protected by DACA, and those currently in the United States with a Temporary Protected Status designation.
- In Congress, Spanberger has voted numerous times on creating a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants and reforming the “broken” immigration system. However, on the campaign trail this year, she has not been as vocal on the issue of permanent relief.
- EXECUTIVE ORDER 47
- Spanberger is against the executive order issued by Gov. Glenn Youngkin requiring local law enforcement to cooperate with federal immigration agents and adhere to 287(g) agreements in Virginia. She said, “I would rescind his executive order.
- “Our immigration system is absolutely broken,” she said. “The idea that we would take local police officers or local sheriff’s deputies in amid all the things that they have to do, like community policing or staffing our jails or investigating real crimes, so that they can go and tear families apart … that is a misuse of those resources.”
- Spanberger is against the executive order issued by Gov. Glenn Youngkin requiring local law enforcement to cooperate with federal immigration agents and adhere to 287(g) agreements in Virginia. She said, “I would rescind his executive order.
WHERE DOES LT. GOV. WINSOME EARLE-SEARS (R) STAND ON THE ISSUES?
- PATHWAY TO CITIZENSHIP
- While she has touted her family’s immigration story, Earle-Sears has not commented nor shown support for a pathway to citizenship. Under the “Tough on Crime” on her campaign website, she has instead promised that “as governor, she will end radical policies like catch-and-release and ensure violent criminal illegal immigrants are arrested, detained, and sent back to where they came from.”
- EXECUTIVE ORDER 47
- Earle-Sears has supported Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s executive order to require local law enforcement to cooperate with federal immigration agents and adhere to 287(g) agreements.
- “If local law enforcement continues to ignore what the governor has stated Governor Youngkin that we’re not a sanctuary state then that’s why he has put this executive order in place so that we will deputize state police to get rid of the criminal illegal element among us Laura. We have over 900 illegals who are in our prisons and they need to go home and they need to go home now.”
- “Under Governor Youngkin’s leadership, Virginia stands firm: we are not a sanctuary state.”
- Earle-Sears has supported Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s executive order to require local law enforcement to cooperate with federal immigration agents and adhere to 287(g) agreements.
