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Bill Would Prohibit Port Authority From Enforcing Trump Travel Ban

Steven Rogers opposes the measure.
Phil Gregory

A bill awaiting final legislative approval in New Jersey's Assembly would keep employees of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey from enforcing President Trump's order to bar residents of six countries from entering the United States.

The Assembly Transportation Committee voted along party lines to advance the measure.

Assemblywoman Annette Chapparo is among the Democrats supporting it. She  says her son is a marine and she knows it's vital to keep the nation safe.

"We just want to make sure that it's not a smokescreen to just grab anybody off the airplanes and just be able to remove them just because of where they're coming from."

Steven Rogers, a Republican candidate for governor, is a retired Nutley police detective and a former member of the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force. He told lawmakers the bill will hinder the ability of law enforcement to protect the state.

"None of us here today want New Jersey to be the place where someone started their journey in our country to unleash hell on our nation because of this bill, and that's what this bill will do."

Democrats say the U.S. cannot force the state to use its law-enforcement personnel to enforce federal edicts.