Immigration divides New Jersey Democrats in an early test for the party

The New Jersey governor’s race is providing an early test for Democrats trying to navigate the thorny issues of immigration and border security following Donald Trump’s victory, and those issues are already dividing the party's candidates.

“Those national issues are going to loom large in this gubernatorial race,” N.J. Democratic Party Chairman LeRoy Jones said. “It already has.”

A crowded field of Democrats, including mayors, members of Congress and a former state Senate leader, are competing to replace the term-limited Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy, and the primary could be an early testing ground for the party as it regroups from the 2024 election. Trump lost New Jersey by 6 points, but saw a 10-point swing in his direction compared to 2020, the second-largest of any state in the country.

When six of the top Democratic candidates met for a debate last week, immigration emerged as a clear dividing line between the progressive and more moderate hopefuls.

“I would say we have to be honest up here, No. 1. You can’t say you support immigrants in New Jersey but vote for the Laken Riley Act,” Newark Mayor Ras Baraka said — essentially calling out Democratic Rep. Josh Gottheimer, though not by name, for supporting the measure, which requires U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to detain undocumented immigrants arrested or convicted of various crimes.

Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop also called the Laken Riley Act “dangerous” and said it “served to undermine the authority of the attorney general here in New Jersey.” Fulop pressed Gottheimer on the Immigrant Trust Act, a state bill to limit state and local enforcement of federal immigration laws.

Gottheimer did not acknowledge Fulop's question, and the moderators moved on. Gottheimer did defend his vote for the federal Laken Riley Act at the debate, which was put on by the New Jersey Globe, On New Jersey and Rider University.

"If you’re a murderer, a criminal, a rapist, break into people’s homes in the middle of the night with a gun while the kids are sleeping, and you’re undocumented, you shouldn’t be here, right?" Gottheimer said. "And you shouldn’t be in this state. You shouldn’t be in this country."

Gottheimer was one of 46 House Democrats who voted for the measure but the only Democrat from New Jersey to support it.

Rep. Mikie Sherrill, who is also running for governor and is one of the leading candidates, voted against the bill, saying in a statement that the measure “mandates detention and eliminates due process rights for some people, including DACA recipients, who haven’t been convicted of or charged with a crime.”

On the debate stage, Sherrill said “basic humanity” is often missing from immigration debates, calling for “comprehensive immigration reform” and a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants.

“And we also need better border security,” Sherrill added.

Former state Senate President Steve Sweeney opposed recent immigration raids but also suggested that those who commit crimes should be deported.

“So look, we don’t want to round up people that haven’t done anything wrong. Absolutely,” Sweeney said. “But people that have broken the law in this country, I’m sorry, they need to leave it.”

Sean Spiller, a Jamaican immigrant and president of the New Jersey teacher’s union, also raised concerns about recent ICE raids, saying, “They’re coming for all of us and that should scare every single one of us.”

The candidates were united in opposition to Trump’s plan for widespread deportations.

Asked if one of the goals of the next governor should be protecting immigrants in the state, even those who are in the state illegally, almost all of the candidates raised their hands, including Gottheimer.

Sherrill was the lone candidate who did not raise her hand, declining to participate in any hand-raising questions. But she did respond, “We should protect people in New Jersey, especially with the Constitution.”

Looming attacks

Republicans were quick to jump on that moment, with the Republican Governors Association sharing a clip of the debate on X, writing, "When asked if #NJGov candidates would protect immigrants *including those who are here illegally,* every Democrat said: YES."

“Right out of the gate New Jersey Democrats are showing they’re going to be putting far-left politics over commonsense policy, especially when it comes to immigration," RGA Communications Director Courtney Alexander said in a statement. "Look no further than the very first Democratic debate when every single candidate raised their hand to say that the goal of the next governor should be to protect illegal immigrants.”

Julie Roginsky, a Democratic strategist who has worked on New Jersey races but is not involved in the governor’s race, said it’s not clear yet if the GOP will effectively leverage this issue in the general election.

"It depends how they package it. The Republican Governors Association is packaging it as a Trump arm would, which is to vilify undocumented immigrants just because of who they are. That’s not where New Jersey is,” Roginsky said. “To the extent they’re not popular in New Jersey, it is because of what people perceive undocumented immigrants to be financially costing the state, not simply because they’re here in the state.”

Roginsky said affordability is “always the name of the game” in state elections, and has fueled some Republican success at the state level. She noted that Murphy was the first Democratic governor since the 1970s  to win a second term, and he won re-election in 2021 by just 3 points.

“For anybody who’s actually done campaigns in New Jersey, they understand that while New Jersey is a Democratic state, it is not always a progressively Democratic state,” Roginsky said.

On the Republican side, Murphy’s GOP opponent in 2021, former state Assemblyman Jack Ciattarelli, is running again and is a top candidate in the GOP primary, which also features radio host Bill Spadea, former state Sen. Ed Durr, who defeated Sweeney in an upset in 2021, and state Sen. Jon Bramnick.

Democrats pointed to Republicans' embrace of Trump's immigration policies, such as ending birthright citizenship, as problematic stances in New Jersey, where nearly a quarter of its residents are immigrants.

“Unlike Democrats, who agree that we need to modernize our immigration system, secure our border, and keep communities safe, the Republicans running for governor in New Jersey want to tear families apart and rip up the Constitution — once again pushing extremism, chaos, and division instead of offering real solutions,” said Izzi Levy, a senior communications adviser for the Democratic Governors Association.

Democrats will have to decide on a nominee before facing off with Republicans on the issue. And that involves appealing to both a progressive primary electorate, while also heading off any future GOP attacks.

Jones, the state party chairman who also leads the Essex County Democrats, said Democrats will have an agenda focused on “the protection and the securing of rights and freedoms of individuals.” (Jones also denied a New Jersey Globe report that he is expected to endorse Sherrill in his capacity as the chair of the Essex County party. He said he will not make an endorsement until county leaders weigh in.)

Jones said immigration “obviously was an issue” in the 2024 election, but he added that other issues were at play in New Jersey, including the economy and education.

“What we didn’t do, and what we will do going forward, is drill down to those kitchen table issues that affect every New Jerseyan and Americans across the nation,” Jones said, adding immigration is “absolutely” one of them.

Winning back voters on immigration is no easy task for Democrats, with voters in recent years saying they trust Republicans to better handle the issue.

“I do think that Democrats are trying to figure out how to be true to their ideals, their sense of fair play for everyone and due process for everyone, while recognizing that public opinion has moved against them on this issue,” said Micah Rasmussen, director of the Rebovich Institute for New Jersey Politics at Rider University and a co-moderator of the recent Democratic debate.

Rasmussen said Democrats are not expected to focus much on immigration in the governor’s race moving forward, instead zeroing in on economic issues like the high cost of living.

But he noted Democrats also risk allowing Republicans to define them on the issue if they don’t talk about immigration at all.

“It’s a needle that they have to thread,” Rasmussen said.

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com