meanwhile the fate of the Elizabeth Detention Center hangs in the balance under a 2021 law signed by Governor Murphy the immigration Detention Facility was slated to permanently close this week but a lawsuit filed by the prison's private operator and backed by the Biden Administration could prevent that as senior correspondent Joan gagas reports now some of New Jersey's political heavyweights are getting involved what has been bitterly disappointing is to see the Biden administration file a statement of interest on their side immigrant rights Advocates are calling out the Biden Administration for joining in a lawsuit filed by core Civic the private company running the Elizabeth Detention Center the last remaining ice facility in the state in August of 2021 New Jersey signed into law a ban that would prevent any existing ice contracts from renewing or extending their agreements and would ban any new contracts from cropping up it wasn't until nearly two full years later in February of 2023 that core Civic announced a lawsuit challenging the private provisions of that ban they were then joined in the summer by the Biden Administration and the Department of Justice the lawsuit says closure of the Elizabeth facility would be catastropic to National Security and Public Safety leading to the release of dangerous non-citizens it also claims New Jersey's law is unconstitutional an example of a state overriding federal statute but on Friday several of New Jersey's Democratic Congressional Delegation together with US senators Menendez and Booker sent a letter to us attorney general Merrick Garland admonishing the administration's support of the core Civic lawsuit and reminding the president that abolishing private prisons was a promise he once made something these protesters haven't forgotten Biden just needs need to stick to his campaign promise he promised that he would not be using private for-profit prisons for any reason it's rare that we see the Congressional delegations speak with such unified rebuke of uh presidential Administration it clearly highlights that President Biden is on the wrong side of this conversation under state law core civic's contract will expire August 31st but Advocates are concerned an injunction could keep the private facility open longer they're calling on the Biden Administration to cancel the contract altogether core Civic is the world's largest private prison operator and private detention has ballooned under the Biden Administration to a number that we have not seen in administration's past um not under the Trump Administration not under the Obama Administration we have a higher number of dollars going toward private immigration detention than ever before do you believe that ice operations should cease in New Jersey yes you know ice detention is a a very recent phenomenon in our nation's history it is not required to be detained as part of the immigration process and it's something that has grown out of control and without proper public oversight people who are detained by Ice don't have a right to an attorney there's a lot of civil liberties that don't operate in that same space the government knows that all these abuses are happening and that they're still willing to let cor Civic operate by renewing their contract this protester saying New Jersey's law reflects the will of the people so by Biden wanting to impede that law to to be practiced is a huge disrespect for everybody out here in Jersey a decision in the case is expected by the end of this week for NJ Spotlight news I'm Joanna gagis [Music]