>> Funding for "NJ Spotlight news" is presented by New Jersey Education Association, making public schools great for every child.

RWJBarnabas Health, let's be healthy together.

And New Jersey realtors, the voice of real estate in New Jersey.

More information online.

Raven: Tonight on "NJ Spotlight News," the case against Senator Bob Menendez in the hounds -- the hands of the jury.

The stakes could not be higher.

>> Publicly there's no coming back from this.

Publicly this is the end of the line for him.

Raven: Plus, did President Biden's performance at the NATO summit persuade them of cats hill to stick by him?

>> It has entrenched the views for those Democrats who want him to step down and also further hardened the views of those who say he is our guy.

Raven: Fallout in Princeton days after a surprise ice operation rounded up and interrogated immigrants.

>> They are afraid to go to work, to walk the street, to take their children to camp, to school.

Raven: And urgent calls for more money to make communities more resilient to climate change as seas rise and storms intensified.

>> With sea level rise accelerating, we really don't have a decade per project, we need to do these things quicker and faster.

Raven: "NJ Spotlight News" begins right now.

♪ >> From NJPBS Studios, this is "NJ Spotlight News" with Briana Vannozzi.

Raven: Thank you for joining us, I am Raven Santana.

The jury has begun deliberations in the Menendez trial, determining whether the senior senator is guilty of the more than dozen counts of corruption and bribery charges.

It has been a long process to get here and the jury just receiving the case in the middle of this afternoon after hearing hours of instructions from the judge.

Our senior correspondent has been covering the case since it began.

What happened in the courtroom today before the jury went into deliberations?

Reporter: Six men and six women started deliberating at 10 past 2:00 this afternoon in the Menendez trial.

They have a copy of the form and a computer loaded with evidence.

The judge told them if they wanted he would bring into the courtroom the gold bars and cash to examine in person if they asked.

It's a complex case and the judges spent the morning instructing the jury and at one point he said he was tired but he kept going.

He wanted them to understand the legal details.

You can find someone guilty of conspiracy to commit bribery without finding them guilty of the bribery counts.

All of the defendants in the case, Menendez and the two codefendants, have all pleaded not guilty and none of them have taken the stand in their own defense.

Raven: Someone who hasn't taken the stand is the Senator himself.

While we haven't heard from the Senator, you have been observing him in and out of the courtroom throughout the trial.

How has the senator reacted to the trial and what was his demeanor?

Reporter: Remember, he's been through this before.

He beat his first corruption trial with a hung jury.

Menendez has been listening intently to the legal arguments.

He shook his head during the prosecution summation.

He's been walking the hallways on the 23rd floor, sometimes singing songs like "amazing Grace."

He rarely comments to the media but when he does he is defiant and he will say he doesn't expect a jury will find him guilty, that the government has not approved their case beyond a reasonable doubt.

His family was with him today, his daughter and older sister.

His older sister testified and said her baby brother hordes gold because it is a Cuban thing to distrust banks.

Menendez looks calm.

I saw him taking a selfie with a worker in the cafeteria during lunch today.

Raven: What is next?

Reporter: The judge told jurors they could stay late today if they wanted but most people think they will go home, especially with a case this complicated.

They are thinking we will be back here next week, deliberations will continue.

He told the five alternates who sat in on all of the presentations that he did not want to discharge them, he wants to keep them around -- he told them they could go home not to read anything or discuss the case.

Just in the event something happened and he would have to replace one of the jurors.

You might think that is overcautious but that happened in another case here at the courthouse today where one of the jurors was replaced by an alternate.

Raven: Now we just have to wait.

Brenda, thank you.

Reporter: Thank you.

Raven: As the senator's guilt or innocence lies in the hands of jurors, questions are arising about the future of his political career and how he will be remembered.

Analyst tell us were garlic so the verdict this is likely the end of a decorated but controversial 50 year political career.

Our senior political correspondent spoke to political advocates and analysts about what it means for Menendez's Legacy in the future of New Jersey politics.

Reporter: For Senator Menendez, Steely is ever through this long trial, the votes are just starting to be counted in what amounts to the final election of his career.

Menendez's guilt or innocence is in the hands of 12 jurors but for anyone who has watched the senior senator's year career, it is clear this is the end.

The Latino action network, -- this representative of the Latino action network was an aid in the early days.

>> He was in that era, when I worked as his press secretary which would be 1993 to 1996.

Here is a real symbol of political empowerment for Latino communities and the skies seemed to be the limit as to his potential.

Reporter: A first for Latinos as mayor of Union City, a supplement, State Senator, Congressman and finally U.S.

Senator, head of the powerful Foreign Relations Committee.

Along the way becoming a leading voice on issues as varied as immigration and labor to banking and international commerce.

But ending as a confirmation of a Jersey cliché.

This former U.S. Senate candidate was a longtime ally.

It's almost like a bad telenovela.

>> Yeah, for those of us who worked with him a long time on critical issues for New Jersey, for workers, for immigrants or Latinos, there is a lot of sadness in the community to see him be in a place where his legacy is tarnished.

We are proud of him, how he ascended from nothing.

We saw ourselves and his ability to be a leader for our community.

Reporter: But that feeling is not universal.

The state Republican chairman spent almost $40 million in 2018 to try to unseat Menendez in a Bloody battle.

There's lingering bitterness in his reaction to the trial.

>> Throwing your wife under the bus, gold bars, hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash.

It is so sordid it is hard to talk about it.

The inside stories, you hear about him smoking cigars and being a big shot in Washington, D.C. and the arrogance going on a long time.

>> Publicly there's no coming back from this.

Publicly this is the end of the line for him.

He will serve out his term.

I don't think he is resigning or going anywhere even if there is a conviction.

I think he will ride off into the sunset.

Reporter: For Latinos in New Jersey particularly that's not a happy ending.

How much time is it going to take to recover the potency of his influence?

>> We knew him leaving would leave avoid of about 20 years before we can get back to having the top leader in the congressional delegation.

Reporter: There is a word in Spanish Fort that translates to wasted, that whether he is found guilty or not, what those who championed Bob Menendez for years are feeling about his legacy today.

David Cruz, "NJ Spotlight News."

Raven: As soon as the verdict comes down, turn to our YouTube channel where we will have live coverage of the jury's decision, impact on New Jersey politics and the senator's reaction.

President Joe Biden tried again to make the case he is the best candidate to take on Donald Trump in the November election during yesterday's press conference at the NATO summit in Washington.

The summit aimed at showcasing the presidents leadership on a world stage and he insisted he has to "finish the job he started."

But it wasn't his leadership that made headlines, it was the multiple times he rambled and misspoke, at one point calling Vice President Harris Vice President Trump and said he followed the advice of his commander-in-chief, his own title, about military aid to Ukraine.

The flubs are leading some to call for him to step aside.

To discuss the continued fallout from the presidents public appearances and growing discourse on Capitol Hill and joined by a Washington correspondent.

Thank you for joining me.

Ben: Happy to be here.

Raven: It was at many times tough to watch, the president confusing well-known people and their positions like the vice president and sticking referring to the Ukrainian President as President Putin.

How is his performance resonating on the hill today?

Ben: Congress is out and they will be out for about a week, the Republican national convention is next week in Milwaukee but has really I would say entrenched the views for those Democrats who want him to step down and also further hardened the views of the Democrats who say Biden is our guy.

It is a moment where what you wanted to see you likely saw.

Raven: Very true.

We know Mikey Cheryl has come out against Biden running for reelection.

Has anyone else in the NJ delegation changed their position after seeing him stumble last night?

Ben: No is the short answer.

These are foot soldiers in many ways of the Democratic Party and they are keeping their powder dry.

I would underscore that a non-endorsement is a big shift from a full throated endorsement.

Members like Andy Kim saying we need to focus on defeating Donald Trump and winning the senate seat I am gunning for, that is a T -- AC change from Biden is our guy.

Raven: More than a dozen on the Hill are calling for him to step aside.

Do we expect more?

Ben: I think in the house the number is up to 18.

The sense is privately Democrats are far more worried about Bidens prospects than they are letting on.

They are focused on one ticket, which is defeating Donald Trump at the ballot box again.

When Congress returns in two weeks, between now and then there should be more Democrats who have called for Biden to step down.

We are sort of in a holding pattern.

Raven: During the presser he had insisted he was the right person for the job and he is not stepping down.

In a case where he does, what names have you heard on the hill as possible replacements?

Ben: The obvious choice is the vice president.

She can run on the four years of the Biden administration, they got a lot done on policy and a closely divided Senate and a pretty closely divided house.

She would not have the baggage of age that comes with Joe Biden and his candidacy.

Beyond that, the names floated nationally would be folks like Gretchen Whitmer, the governor of Michigan, maybe Josh Shapiro, the governor of Penn Civilian -- of Pennsylvania.

Governors who could bring home places like Pennsylvania, Michigan, swing states.

Raven: Great insight, thank you for joining us.

The Princeton community is shaken tonight after their neighbors were targeted by an ICE operation.

Sources say men in unmarked vehicles and police care -- gear began knocking on doors and interrogating people Monday morning.

Our Senior correspondent reports that they are awaiting word on what prompted the interrogations as community members press ICE for answers.

>> They were driving around Princeton, they were asking for identification to workers and random people on the streets.

Reporter: ICE agents conducted an operational early Wednesday morning in Princeton, leaving a community that has a large immigrant population shaken.

>> We saw that he stopped right in front of us on the other side of the street and took a picture of us.

Reporter: Angela Ramos works in Princeton and watched ICE stop day workers before taking a picture of her and her friend and beeping at them.

>> It was so terrifying and we took it as such disrespect.

He was honking to tell us he is the authority and he will be back.

Reporter: Community members and the Princeton Mayor take issue with how the operation was conducted and the failure to communicate with local or state government they were coming.

>> They had officers wearing vests that say police and they are ICE, they should have large letters identifying who they are.

They are not all dressed the same, different vests, different unmarked vehicles.

Reporter: Which he says leads to potentially dangerous interactions with agents.

>> You are in your community in an unmarked vehicle pulls up and some guy pulls out with a bullet proof vest and a gun, how you will react to that or our police will react if we don't know they are ICE officers, the potential for a problem Israel.

Reporter: ICE issued a statement saying they targeted three noncitizens for arrest and one was taken into custody by ERO officers.

ICE officer said the other arrest was blocked by public interference with officers in pursuit of the individual, warning that interfering with an arrest is a crime and places all parties in jeopardy.

Community members say they have different accounts of how many people were detained.

>> We believe and are investigating and knowing there was more than one arrest on Wednesday morning.

>> We are hearing reports anywhere from eight to 10 individuals were apprehended by ICE and also from ICE themselves that only one individual was arrested.

>> We are getting multiple information, some people said six people were arrested, we don't know if they were just detained a moment and let go.

We don't know anything that has been verified.

ICE has responsibility to verify that.

Reporter: The Congresswoman who represents Princeton says there are issues.

>> We need to understand the protocol, needed to let someone know they were coming to town and we have to have an understanding that you don't just ask people in the United States of America to show you their identification.

I don't carry my identification on me all the time, that's not American.

Reporter: The American Friends service committee offers free legal advice to immigrants and say this could have a long-lasting impact on the community.

>> People are now afraid to go out to go to work, they are afraid to walk in the streets, to take their children to camp, to school.

They are fearful at any time they can be arrested by immigration and customs enforcement.

Reporter: The mayor is working to determine how much his officers will oversee ICE if and when they come back to town.

Joanna Gagis, "NJ Spotlight News ."

Raven: In our spotlight on business report, one of the core pillars of Governor Murphy's administration is addressing the impact of climate change, including the goal of 100% clean energy and cutting greenhouse gas emissions.

Some say more could be done lawmakers for New Jersey to prepare for its harmful effects, specifically dedicating funds to support climate preparedness.

A group that led many post-sandy rebuild efforts is pushing the administration to create a dedicated funding source and putting the issue in voters hands.

Ted Goldberg spoke to members of the group about how they let a similar successful campaign in New York.

Reporter: The Hoboken Northwest's Lancia Park is hiding a big secret.

>> All the water from nearby blocks comes here and get stored under the park and pumped to the sewer system.

Reporter: What looks like your garden-variety park is actually concealing underground storage for a million gallons of stormwater.

Much of the rain that would otherwise flood Hoboken stays in tanks until it is safe to be pumped into the sewer system.

Amy says everything in this park is designed with resiliency in mind.

>> It is not a regular parkland with regular design of soil, they are entrenched in the whole area can absorb more water.

Reporter: She's the director of rebuild by design, the organization that drew up the four resiliency parks in Hoboken, one of which is still under construction.

Combined they hold more than 4 million gallons of stormwater with gutters and places you wouldn't expect, like a basketball court.

>> It's done on purpose, it can hold another foot and a half of water.

Reporter: She would love to see more of these parks across New Jersey.

She says an early estimate has these parks reducing flooding in Hoboken by 88% since they were built.

>> This park is a model not only for places in New Jersey that also struggle with flooding but a model worldwide.

Reporter: The trouble is the price tag, it costs more than $230 million to build these parks, with more than 90% of that courtesy of the federal government.

>> There's not a way for other communities to replicate this park because funding isn't available.

What we are doing today is calling on the state of New Jersey and all of their partners to work together to come up with a sustainable funding source so New Jersey communities can build parks like this that will help.

Reporter: Her group calling for new ways to raise that kind of money, including surcharges on property and casualty insurance, a law that would charge for full fuel companies for climate damages, and a statewide environmental bond measure.

Rebuild by design campaign for a similar bond measure in New York and voters approved an over $4 billion bond there two years ago.

As for the next project in New Jersey, there are no shortage of candidates, including a wild life refuge.

>> We talk about adaptations and restorations we are really looking at how bad it is getting.

>> The marsh has eroded from where it was.

Because it had nowhere to go, the waves came in and erosion occurred and it has slowly been chewed back over the decades.

Reporter: You can see how far the salt marsh use to extend into the bay, protecting the birds that call this place home.

And giant park probably isn't the answer here and it will take a while to figure out what is.

This is according to Virginia with U.S.

Fish and Wildlife.

>> The projects take years to work.

You start with an idea and have a design.

A lot of studies have to occur to ensure we make the right choices for the site.

>> It's on the order of eight to 10 years and with sea level rise accelerating we don't have a decade per project.

We need to do these things quicker and faster.

Reporter: The obstacles here are also slightly different than Hoboken.

>> We have erosion, as you can imagine, whether from storms, but wake -- boat wakes.

Some is naturally occurring and expected but you couple that with sea level rise and the marshes in New Jersey are subsiding as well.

Reporter: The most common source of funding for resiliency projects are grants from the federal government, something people will have to hope for if the state is unable or unwilling to pay.

I am Ted Goldberg.

Raven: Turning to Wall Street, the Dow Jones hit a record high and stocks jumped as investors showed confidence in markets.

Here is how the week ended.

♪ >> Support for the business report is provided by experienced the vibrancy of the new work arts and education district and Halsey.

Visit their website for the Halsey Fest schedule.

♪ Raven: That does it for us tonight.

Before you go, a reminder to download the "NJ Spotlight News" podcast so you can listen anytime.

For the entire team here at "NJ Spotlight News", thank you for being with us, have a great we can and we will see you back here Monday.

>> NJM Insurance Group.

Serving the insurance needs of residents and businesses for more than 100 years.

Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey, an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and blue shield Association.

New Jersey realtors, the voice of real estate in New Jersey.

More information online.

And by the PSEG foundation.

>> Our future lies on more than clean energy, our future relies on empowered communities, the health and safety of family and neighbors, schools and streets.

PSEG is committed to equity and empowerment, helping Towns go green, supporting civic centers, scholarships and workforce development that strengthen our community.

♪