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NJ Lawmakers Examine Impact Of Trump's Immigration Orders

ancarlo Tello and Daniela Velez testify at Assembly committee hearing
Phil Gregory

New Jersey lawmakers are examining the impact of President Trump's executive orders to toughen enforcement of immigration laws.

23-year-old Glassboro resident Daniela Velez is an unauthorized immigrant. She came to New Jersey with her family from Venezuela 14 years ago.  She told an Assembly committee the President's executive orders have put her life in turmoil.

"I don't know what sleep is. My anxiety and my depression it's constantly there. I'm afraid that I'm going to wake up and my parents are going to be taken away from me. There's a never-ending moment where I don't think about what could happen."

27-year old Giancarlo Tello is an undocumented immigrant who lives in Burlington County. He and his family left Peru in 1996. He says the Trump’s immigration orders have him on edge.

"I've actually been an immigration activist since 2010, so for almost seven years now, and this is the first week that I've gone to counseling and sought some mental health support or help."

Craig Garcia is the political director for the New Jersey Working Families Alliance. He says many immigrants are afraid to go to work or send their kids to school because they’re worried immigration agents will track them down and deport them.

“I’d love to see a sanctuary state and make sure that the state does not cooperate with federal enforcement. Local, county, and state police forces are all cash strapped and have a lot of work to do and they should be focused on protecting our community and not becoming a deputized police force for the federal government.” 

Assemblyman Reed Gusciora doubts that'll happen.

"I don't know how the whole state could be created legislatively as a sanctuary state and quite frankly whether the governor would even sign it or entertain it."

Gusciora says state lawmakers could encourage Congress to act or urge the President to rescind his executive order.

Assemblywoman Annette Chaparro questions Trump’s immigration policies.

“Just because you’re undocumented doesn’t mean you’re a criminal. We have teenagers, young men and women, killing each other in our streets. We all these crimes that are happening and we’re focusing on undocumented residents because they’re here. It doesn’t make any sense.”