Authored by Naveen Athrapully via The Epoch Times,
New Jersey’s Democrat Gov. Phil Murphy has changed his stance on border policies after refusing to take in immigrants as proposed under a Biden administration scheme, even though the governor had earlier insisted on building a “sanctuary state.”
The Biden administration recently proposed that some of the 60,000 asylum seekers in New York City could be moved to the Atlantic City International Airport in Egg Harbor Township, New Jersey. The decision triggered a sharp reaction from New Jersey politicians.
“I don’t see any scenario where we’re going to be able to take in a program in Atlantic City or frankly elsewhere in the state,” Mr. Murphy said during News 12 New Jersey’s “Ask Gov. Murphy” show.
“We are already seeing folks in New Jersey that have probably swelled into Jersey from New York City or from other locations, but you need scale, enormous amount of federal support—resources that go beyond anything that we can afford—putting everything else aside.”
Mr. Murphy’s concerns about housing illegal immigrants and asylum seekers comes despite the fact that he has been a vocal supporter of liberal immigration policies over the past years. In 2017, while he was a candidate, Mr. Murphy insisted on making New Jersey a “sanctuary state.”
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy gives a victory speech to supporters at Grand Arcade at the Pavilion in Asbury Park, N.J., on Nov. 3, 2021. (Eduardo Munoz Alvarez/Getty Images)
At the time, his competitor, the Republican nominee for governor, warned about the dangers of providing sanctuary to undocumented immigrants and accused Mr. Murphy of seeking to “violate” the federal law and putting people at risk.
However, Mr. Murphy insisted that sanctuary policies were about “inclusiveness” and the election was about the “nation’s moral compass” and “the goodness of America,” according to Politico.
In a joint statement, a group of Republican legislators from New Jersey’s 13th district said, “New Jersey should not in any way, shape or form be used as a scapegoat to bear the fallout of failed Democrat Policies which continuously impact Americans and immigrants.”
“It is well past time for the Governor and our U.S. Senators to make it clear to New York City and Washington, D.C., that New Jersey will not tolerate their inabilities to implement real, effective changes to address the immigration crisis facing this nation.”
“The State of New Jersey should not become a tool to gloss over the gross ineptitude of federal politicians to produce a fair resolution.”
In an interview with the outlet, Republican Atlantic County Executive Dennis Levinson said that he will do his “best to prevent” migrants from being sent to the region. Atlantic County is one of the poorest counties in the state.
“We can’t afford it. We’re a poor county. We’re one of the poorest counties in New Jersey. It’s not a burden I can put on our taxpayers.”