Sheriff Golden Reacts To AG Decision Regarding 287

Monmouth County: It’s a disappointing day for law enforcement in the State of New Jersey, as a result of the directive issued by the Attorney General to put an end to all 287(g) agreements in  New Jersey. Today’s announcement comes on the heels of the major arrest of 54 immigrants who had been released from local jails instead of being turned over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

In Monmouth County, the 287 (g) program, utilizes the “Incarceration Model” and is therefore  implemented at the correctional facility, and, has been in effect for a decade.  The highly successful program is of great value to maintaining safety in our communities. Law enforcement throughout Monmouth County never wants to be faced with a situation where a dangerous, undocumented immigrant is released from jail and poses a threat to a community. However, this sanctuary directive will make our communities less safe, since it places people in those communities at risk for increased violence.

These are challenging times for law enforcement, as we do not recall a directive that has ever been issued to ignore the laws of this country or state. As a result, we shall continue to pursue legal remedies to this directive, which deprives Monmouth County of the ability to identify individuals who have committed crimes and are here illegally.

The Monmouth County Sheriff’s Office number one priority is to keep residents of Monmouth County safe and 287 (g) supports that mission.

For a downloadable version of this press release, click here: News Release – Sheriff Golden Reacts to AG Directive Regarding 287 g