Senator Jim Holzapfel (R-10) has issued a statement following the recent deaths of a woman and her 11-year-old daughter, who were killed in a car crash allegedly caused by an undocumented immigrant from Mexico. According to Holzapfel, the suspect was reportedly driving under the influence at the time of the incident.
Holzapfel criticized New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy’s sanctuary state policies in response to the tragedy. He stated, “Governor Murphy’s reckless sanctuary state policies allowed a known repeat offender to walk free and now, an innocent family is left to pick up the pieces. This is the devastating cost of putting political ideology ahead of public safety.”
Sanctuary state policies generally limit local law enforcement cooperation with federal immigration authorities, which supporters say helps build trust between immigrant communities and police. Critics argue that such policies can result in dangerous individuals remaining in communities rather than being deported.
The debate over sanctuary policies continues in New Jersey as lawmakers and residents respond to incidents involving undocumented immigrants.
