New Jersey mayor calls for sanctuary policy rollback after infant is killed

Key Points:

• The mayor of Jackson Township, New Jersey, Jennifer Kuhn, called for rolling back the state's sanctuary policies after a 9-month-old baby was killed by an illegal immigrant who struck the child's family with a car in a grocery store parking lot.
• Maria Cobon-Guzman, a Guatemalan national without a driver's license, was charged with manslaughter after hitting a mother and her two children, resulting in the infant's death and critical injuries to the mother and 5-year-old daughter.
• Kuhn criticized New Jersey's Immigrant Trust Directive, which limits cooperation between local law enforcement and federal immigration authorities, arguing it prevents accountability for undocumented immigrants involved in crimes.
• The policy, implemented in 2018 and codified into law by Governor Mikie Sherrill, generally prohibits police from inquiring about immigration status or notifying ICE about releases, though exceptions exist for certain serious crimes.
• Supporters say the directive builds trust between immigrant communities and police, encouraging crime reporting without fear of immigration consequences, while officials maintain that ICE is notified in appropriate cases involving violent or serious offenses.