New Jersey Governor Moves to Ban Future ICE Detention Centers New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy has signed a bill that bans state and county governments from entering or renewing existing contracts to house immigrants in detention centers. While the bill will allow current detentions at both the Bergen and Hudson county prisons for the remainders of the existing agreements, county officials indicated immediately after the law’s passage READ MORE READ MORE

Scranton, Pennsylvania, Mayor Paige Cognetti, along with 83 other mayors from across the nation, sent a letter to President Joe Biden; Vice President Kamala Harris; U.S. Senate Leader Charles E. Schumer, D-NY; and U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-CA. The letter urges Congress to make swift immigration reforms, considering the economic benefits of legalizing immigrants and the acute labor shortage. Mayor Cognetti’s letter came days after U.S. READ MORE READ MORE

On July 20, the Milwaukee Bucks defeated the Phoenix Suns, winning the 2021 NBA Championship. Giannis Antetokounmpo became the sixth player in the NBA Final History to score 50 points, leading the Milwaukee Bucks to the win. He won the NBA Finals “Most Valuable Player” award; currently, his two brothers also play in the NBA. Giannis’ Immigration Journey Giannis was born in December 1994 in Athens, Greece, READ MORE READ MORE

Essex County Prison No Longer Housing Immigrant Detainees Essex County Prison in Newark, New Jersey, has officially ended its detention of individuals for federal immigration violations. The County Chief Executive, Joseph N. DiVincenzo, stated that as of Tuesday this week, the prison – located in the third-largest county in the state – no longer had any immigration detainees. Essex County officials announced in April that it would READ MORE READ MORE

The United States is facing severe labor shortages in its agriculture, meatpacking, and poultry industries. In response to the problem, Iowa State Farms, one of the state’s largest pork producers, is pressuring U.S. Senators to allow for a year-round flow of immigrant workers. In a recent Senate Judiciary Committee hearing, Iowa State Farms requested more laborers, stating that current employment numbers are inadequate to meet the industry’s READ MORE READ MORE