Back in February, I wrote a post called “ICE Out of West Orange,” and sent it to the West Orange Town Council. I’m gratified to see that West Orange Councilwoman Joyce Rudin has endorsed a version of the proposal I made, and done so for the right reasons. I don’t know if my post had any influence on her or not; my point is that what she’s endorsing is exactly consistent with what I said.

From the April 19 edition of her “Rudin Report“:

Some on the Council feel that West Orange is an island with no connection to things that go on beyond our township limits. But the reality is that our country and our community is facing a crisis. ICE agents have detained our residents, conducted dangerous car chases through our streets, and left families afraid to venture out of their homes. With the urging of residents, I proposed that we introduce a resolution creating ICE-free zones on municipal properties to allow our residents safe access to our town’s services. Our civil society is at risk and this affects all of us. I hope you’ll support me as the Council debates this.

I’ve disagreed with Rudin on other matters, but I’m glad to see how clearly and frankly she puts this. She’s one of the few people on the West Orange Council who seems to understand what’s at stake when it comes to ICE, and understands what needs to be done about it. I actually think it’s over-generous of her to suggest that the Council has any intention of “debating” the proposal. What it’s so far done over the course of a full year is to generate excuses as to why it doesn’t need to debate proposals of this kind. But we’ll see how it handles things going forward.

It’s worth reminding the Council that the state legislature passed a Safe Communities Act on migrant rights that will, in due course, require the Township’s input and adherence. I understand that West Orange is mired in a budgetary crisis, and is knee-deep in woes over affordable housing. Is it ungenerous of me to say that it’ll have to multitask? What I will say is that for all the empty talk one hears from so many of these passively pro-ICE do-nothings about the imperatives of “law,” the Safe Communities Act is law, and demands full fledged adherence.

Just an FYI to any interested parties reading this: I haven’t weighed in on West Orange’s budget, or its affordable housing problems, or any of the allegations of graft or corruption that have made the rounds in West Orange political circles. I’m happy to leave that to others. But God help this Council if, on “debating” Rudin’s proposal, it dredges up the age-old excuse that the containment of ICE is a matter beyond its jurisdiction. Actually, I’m not sure even God will be of much help at that point.

It’s bad enough that the “out of jurisdiction” claim is inconsistent with the Council’s practice, and straightforwardly false. What’s worse is that this is a Council that thinks that the containment of ICE is beyond its jurisdiction, but that the adjudication of disputes between Zionists and anti-Zionists is within it. How does that work? It also seems to think that the containment of ICE is beyond its jurisdiction, but that the valorization and promotion of the mission of the United States Air Force is within it. West Orange doesn’t just have a JROTC program during the academic year in its high school. It runs an Air Force summer camp for children in grades 3-8 during the summer time. In other words, this is a town with a year-round commitment to genuflecting before the U.S. military–all ages, all demographics, all the time. Put another way, this is a town that can’t protect its own residents in its own streets, but feels the need to indoctrinate eight-year-olds in the virtues of killing and being killed over the Strait of Hormuz.

Sorry for the pun, but that’s not going to fly. If West Orange Town Council wants a fight over this, I’m happy to have it out with them. While I’ve been on hiatus at 66 Main Street for the past few months, I’m always happy to return. I don’t know how happy they’ll be to see me. But I can’t say I care.