Jackson mayor calls for end to NJ sanctuary policies

🚨 Jackson's mayor wants New Jersey to roll back immigration policies limiting cooperation between local police and ICE.
👶 The demand follows a parking lot crash that killed a 9-month-old boy and injured his mother and 5-year-old sister.
⚖️ ICE has lodged detainers against both women charged, as Republicans demand New Jersey honor them.
Jackson mayor calls for end to NJ sanctuary policies after baby's death

The heartbreaking death of a 9-month-old boy in Jackson Township has ignited a new fight over New Jersey's controversial immigration policies.

Mayor Jennifer Kuhn is calling on the Township Council to formally condemn the state's expanded "sanctuary policies," specifically restrictions on cooperation between local police and federal immigration authorities.

"This week, our Jackson community was rocked by the tragic killing of a young boy by an unlicensed driver," Kuhn wrote in a Facebook post.

"No community is safer when law-enforcement agencies are prevented from communicating and coordinating with one another," she added.

Maria Guzman during her detention hearing (inset), Scene of a fatal crash at the NPGS grocery store in Jackson Fri/., Aug. 28. 2026 (NJCourts/Ocean Cou

Baby killed in horrific Jackson parking lot crash

The comments follow the Aug. 28 crash outside the NPGS grocery store on West County Line Road.

Prosecutors say 20-year-old Maria CobonGuzman was learning to drive when she mistakenly hit the accelerator instead of the brake, striking a mother and her two children. The 9-month-old boy died. His mother and 5-year-old sister were injured.

CobonGuzman had never possessed a valid driver's license, according to prosecutors. She is charged with manslaughter, assault by auto and other offenses. Ariadna Lazaro-Flores, 22, is accused of knowingly allowing CobonGuzman to drive despite knowing she was unlicensed.

Both women remain jailed pending trial.

ICE detainers intensify NJ immigration fight

ICE has lodged immigration detainers against both defendants. Federal officials say CobonGuzman is a Guatemalan national who has a removal order and Lazaro-Flores is a Mexican national who was processed for voluntary return five times in October 2023.

Republicans are demanding New Jersey honor the detainers.

"This should not be complicated: New Jersey must comply with ICE detainers," the New Jersey Republican Party said, arguing Gov. Mikie Sherrill should put public safety ahead of sanctuary policies.

Kuhn says the tragedy demands another look at state policy.

"As our community continues to mourn, we also have a responsibility to examine whether our laws and policies are doing everything possible to keep our residents safe," she wrote.

How NJ's Immigrant Trust Directive works

The fight centers on New Jersey's Immigrant Trust Directive, first issued by Attorney General Gurbir Grewal in 2018 under former Gov. Phil Murphy.

The directive generally limits voluntary assistance state and local police can provide federal authorities enforcing civil immigration laws. State officials have argued the restrictions encourage immigrants to report crimes and cooperate with police without fearing immigration consequences.

Sherrill signed legislation codifying the directive into state law in March.

The law does not prevent New Jersey police from enforcing state criminal laws or complying with valid judicial warrants and court orders.

But after the tragedy in Jackson, Kuhn says the balance needs to change.

"Last week, our community experienced the heartbreaking consequences of those policies," she wrote.

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Gallery Credit: Erin Vogt

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Gallery Credit: The Associated Press

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