Hudson Reporter
‘For this targeted group … speech is no longer free’
ACLU-NJ seeks dismissal of lawsuit against ICE protesters ×
According to the ACLU-NJ, protesters of the renewal of the county s contract with ICE to house detainees have had their First Amendment rights violated.
Freedom of speech and the right to peacefully assemble are at the center of a new brief filed by the ACLU-NJ on behalf of protesters who were issued temporary restraining orders and arrested after protesting outside Hudson County Executive Tom DeGise’s home last year.
According to the ACLU-NJ court filing, Hudson County officials violated the First Amendment rights of protesters when it used “draconian measures,” including arrests to silence opponents of the county’s renewal of its contract with Immigration and Customs Enforcement to house detainees at the Hudson County Correctional Center.
Hudson Reporter ×
The Hudson County Sheriff Department placed several people under arrest last week after a judge approved a restraining order effectively preventing ICE protests near Hudson County Executive Tom DeGise s home.
Residents region-wide continued to speak out against Hudson County’s decision to renew its contract with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) last week.
This comes after the Hudson County Board of Chosen Freeholders voted 6-3 on Nov. 24 to renew their contract with ICE to house their detainees at Hudson County Correctional Facility for $120 per person per day despite nearly nine hours of public comment in opposition.