Morristown mayor re-energized on illegal immigration
New law would let police be deputized as immigration officers
Published: Mar 13th, 4:33 AM

MORRISTOWN - A law that has kept Mayor Donald Cresitello from deputizing police officers to enforce immigration laws is no more.



A change in federal law enacted recently means the Morris County Jail would no longer be needed to hold illegal immigrants, according to the mayor. The county has previously refused to let Cresitello use the jail. Under the new provisions, federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) would take responsibility for immigrants arrested by working directly with Morristown, Cresitello said last Thursday.



As a result, Cresitello may now move forward with his plan to have the town’s police officers deputized to enforce immigration laws under the Homeland Security Act.



But Cresitello also noted the program, in which the town would work in conjunction with ICE, the primary investigative arm of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, is undergoing changes.



ICE had been criticized by the Government Accountability Office for poor oversight. Cresitello said ICE recently asked him if he still wanted to participate in the program despite the pending changes. The mayor informed ICE he did although the program is not scheduled to be implemented any time soon. Cresitello estimated another year would likely pass before any program begins.



The program would also need Town Council approval.



The mayor originally applied for the right to deputize police officers as immigration agents in February 2007, a move that upset the town’s Latino population and led to an anti-immigration rally on the steps of Town Hall later in the year.



Cresitello’s efforts ultimately went nowhere that year after Morris County officials balked at letting him use the county jail, citing the large expansion costs to the jail if it were to hold detainees later to be taken away by ICE.

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