Officials in Sussex County have until Friday to reject a special ballot question that would direct the county sheriff to ignore state directives on undocumented immigrants.
State Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal’s directive placing limits on voluntary assistance to federal immigration authorities also is prompting a showdown in Monmouth and Cape May, with officials in both counties recently renewing agreements the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency that his office alleged would “essentially deputize” the officers.
While no such agreement exists in Sussex County, the freeholder board on April 10 approved a resolution authorizing a ballot question -- supported by County Sheriff Michael Strada -- calling upon the sheriff “to ignore directives from state officers and agencies” on immigration.
In May, Grewal told Sussex County Clerk Jeff Parrott that the ballot question would run afoul of state law and should not be included on the county’s November general election ballot, which is prepared by Parrott’s office.
Grewal sought an affirmative response by June 7, but agreed to two extensions in response to requests from county officials.
The county attorney in Sussex, Kevin Kelly, told Grewal in a letter last week that officials “are continuing to address the issues raised” in his letter to Parrott.
Friday is the new deadline, according to Leland Moore, a spokesperson for the state attorney general’s office.
It is not clear what Grewal might do if Sussex County proceeds with the ballot question.
A separate but related debate in playing out in Monmouth and Cape May counties, which like Sussex have Republican sheriffs.
In separate letters within the past week to Monmouth County Sheriff Shaun Golden and Cape May Sheriff Robert Nolan, Veronica Allende -- the director of the state’s division of criminal justice -- charged that both counties had recently renewed cooperation agreements with ICE without informing the attorney general’s office, as required.
While Grewal’s directive did not specifically prohibit such agreements, he had ordered any agency seeking to renew or enter into such a deal to seek permission from his office, which oversees all law enforcement agencies in New Jersey.
Allende gave the sheriffs an August 6 deadline to provide more information about the agreement. The letters leave room for the deals to remain in place if the attorney general finds they serve "a valid law enforcement purpose.”
In Sussex County, the disputed special ballot question was a key issue in the Republican primary for sheriff, in which Strada held off a challenge from one of his officers.
His opponent, Andrew Boden, said that while he also disagrees with Grewal’s directive, he accepts Grewal’s legal authority on the matter.
Strada had fired off a letter to U.S. Attorney General William Barr slamming what he termed Gov. Phil Murphy’s “sanctuary state scheme” and requesting Barr’s guidance, in the days after Grewal first raised his objection to the ballot question.
Grewal, in his May 17 letter to the Sussex County clerk, acknowledged that his directive “is a sensitive issue,” but added, "officials and residents may not instruct their law enforcement officers to ignore a law enforcement directive.”
Prior reporting from NJ Advance Media staff writer S.P. Sullivan is included in this story.
Rob Jennings may be reached at rjennings@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter@RobJenningsNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
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