Anyone who follows this blog at all knows that I split my time between Princeton and West Orange, New Jersey, and that I’ve made the case for ICE-Free legislation in both towns. If you don’t follow this blog, you know it now.

As it happens, both Princeton and West Orange have passed some form of ICE-Free legislation. Princeton passed an ICE-Free resolution in late September; West Orange mayor Susan McCartney issued an ICE-Free Executive Order in mid August. Both developments are good news, but Princeton has shown more wisdom in this respect than West Orange: while a resolution is law whose repeal requires the passage of a contrary resolution, an Executive Order can be repealed at will by the next mayor.

It’s an election year in West Orange, and the mayor’s office is up for grabs. Of the seven candidates for mayor, Joe Krakoviak has been the most consistently hostile to the passage of migrant defense legislation in West Orange. So I think it’s fair to ask him the following and expect a direct answer:

Supposing that he’s elected mayor, does Krakoviak intend to retain and enforce Executive Order 26-02-81326, or not? In the first case, is he willing to promise now that he will not, as mayor, repeal the Order? Where in general does he stand with respect to the Order?

I’ve raised the question on his Facebook account, and sent a query to his official Council email. I assume he’ll answer, and will report back on his answer once I get it.

3:22 pm: Krakoviak responded almost immediately. Here is his response:

The mayor was within her authority to issue this Executive Order. If I’m fortunate enough for voters to elect me mayor, I intend to retain and enforce the mayor’s existing executive order.