New Jersey Official Defends ICE Amid Controversy
During a recent City Council meeting in New Jersey, a council member voiced staunch support for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), criticizing protests against the agency. Councilwoman Anita Greenberg-Berry expressed her belief that comparisons of ICE agents to Nazis are both ignorant and historically insensitive.
At the January 27 meeting in Old Bridge Township, residents were discussing local immigration enforcement and the collaboration between local police and federal authorities. Greenberg-Berry remarked, “We need to realize that ICE is not the problem. Some people demonize them when they’re doing their job trying to keep people safe.”
She argued that if cooperation between local law enforcement and ICE ceased, federal agents would have to make arrests in residential neighborhoods rather than in safer environments like police stations. This, she indicated, could endanger families and communities. By allowing local police to assist federal agents, she suggested, arrests could be made more safely, minimizing risks for everyone involved.
In her remarks, Greenberg-Berry also condemned disruptions that escalate from peaceful protests into chaos. “When you go out and protest in that way, peaceful protest and disruption are two different things,” she noted, emphasizing the dangers posed by such actions.
Moreover, she challenged the rhetoric equating ICE officers with Nazis, calling it historically inaccurate. She stated, “There’s no comparison to the Holocaust. Using that word and calling these people Nazis and fascists just shows your ignorance. So please stop.”
Greenberg-Berry drew a stark contrast between immigration enforcement and the persecution experienced during World War II. While Holocaust victims faced severe deprivation of rights and eventual extermination, she pointed out that individuals facing immigration actions still have legal avenues available to them.
In addition to defending ICE, Greenberg-Berry expressed her concerns over the broader implications of illegal immigration, touching on issues such as economic impact and electoral integrity. “I don’t like anybody getting hurt. I don’t like anybody putting themselves in danger. And unfortunately, this has happened, and it has to stop,” she declared, reinforcing her view on the necessity of governmental protection efforts.
She concluded her comments by reiterating that those working for various government levels should not be labeled as Nazis when their intent is to protect communities.
