>> Major funding for "NJ Spotlight news" is provided in part by NJM insurance group, serving the needs of businesses and residents for more than 100 years.

And by the PSEG foundation.

Anchor: Tonight, back in court.

The codefendants that went down with Senator Bob Menendez will testify in defense of his wife.

Plus a deeper dive into President Trump personal attorney turned top federal prosecutor in the state.

>> She is not a typical prosecutor.

She will view Democrats with disdain.

Anchor: And President Trump's use of wartime law sparks legal questions and new fears and immigrant communities.

>> We are not at war and there's been no determination that the people being detained are members.

Anchor: And battling for mental health.

New York students support themselves and their peers.

>> Today we are going to talk about recognizing signs, having conversations for support.

Anchor: NJ Spotlight News begins right now.

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

Anchor: Hello and thanks for joining us, I am Joanna Gagis in for Briana Vannozzi.

We begin with headlines, the co-defendants in the bobbin Nadine Menendez -- Bob and Nadine Menendez trial will testify in Nadine's trial.

They were supposed to report to prison April 4 but a 45 day extension was approved which will allow them to take the stand and testify for the defense.

Neither testified in their own trial.

Davies and Hannah were both found guilty in a corruption and bribery scheme alongside former Senator Bob Menendez.

They will report to prison May 19.

Also tonight, a majority of New Jersey voters disapprove of President Donald Trump, Vice President fans and Elon Musk but Democrats also gave their own party poor marks for response to the administration's actions according to a new poll of about 700 voters out today.

They found more than 60% of Democrats disapprove of their party's performance in Congress.

More than 80% of New Jersey Republicans approve of the actions representatives in Congress have taken.

Respond is more split on efforts to overhaul the federal government.

A slim majority say they report efforts to support federal spending but most would prefer to see spending increase in categories like Medicare, Social Security, veterans benefits and services and education.

>> 51% of voters in New Jersey approve of the effort broadly to save money but to see the drastic changes, they would need to target big ticket expenditures that people don't want them to touch.

Anchor: The U.S. Supreme Court ruled today to uphold regulations on ghost guns put in place during the Biden Administration.

Seven justices agreed ghost guns should be subject to serial numbers, sales receipts and background checks to purchase the weapons, saying the guns, which can be assembled relatively easily at home, are designed to be used as firearms and are subject to the same rules and regulation as commercially sold guns according to the gun control act.

Two judges dissented, justices Alito and Thomas.

The solicitor General went into the 19,000 ghost guns submitted for tracing by Police Department in 2021, a massive increase from only 1800 and 2016.

The ruling comes after the conservative court upheld a ban against firearms for those -- but they overturned a ban on bum stocks last year.

They lined up in a process that last hours.

Advocates and folks from all over the state asking the Senate Ajit commission to consider -- budget Commission to consider them.

We have more on who was there.

>> Good morning everybody and welcome to the Senate Ajit Appropriations committee hearing.

Our first public hearing for this legislative session.

Reporter: Is not really a formal ceremony for budget hearings although it's an important part of what lawmakers do.

There are constants.

Every year, the chairman takes the first hearing on the road to places like New York.

Over the past several years, progressive groups have shown up beforehand to call for new priorities.

This year, they attracted a gubernatorial candidate.

>> We are raving nationally we should stop Elon Musk and folks from austerity measures or efficiency and make the middle class pay and give money to the super wealthy but in the state of New Jersey it's also what is happening.

It's happening here, we are robbing working-class families and people so the super wealthy can read the treasury.

Reporter: Inside, the chairman's opening remarks could not have been music to the ears of some of those groups facing cuts to and in some cases elimination of state funding.

Although Republicans seemed to like the comments.

>> Those of you here today, we wanted to hear from you and I want to caution you this is the beginning of the process for this legislature, hopefully in a bipartisan manner, to take a hard look at Governor Murphy's proposed budget.

I am quite confident the budget that has been introduced will be modified.

There are certain fees and taxes proposed I am quite certain will be eliminated.

[APPLAUSE] [LAUGHTER] Reporter: Republicans don't have much to say about what the budget ultimately looks like but they know this is as tenuous a budget season as this administration has seen, with funds so tight and expectations of weak tax revenues, the Democrats have a fragile document in their hands.

>> The biggest unknown is what will happen to federal funding, especially with regards to Medicaid and higher education and education.

There are a lot of moving parts.

I've been doing this a long time, this is my 16th year as budget chair and the uncertainty , I've never seen so much uncertainty headed into our budget deliberations.

Unfortunately we might not find out federal cuts until after June 30 so we might have to reconvene later this year.

Reporter: Reconvening on budget matters during an election season, especially to make budget cuts, is not something any incumbent party would want.

Meanwhile, the testimony, while friendly, reflected the unease.

>> It's important that budget cuts don't happen.

>> We want the same amount of money as last year.

>> It would devastate our programs.

>> Without higher and progressive revenues, we will be stuck in the same position.

>> That's give the next governor had stop -- Headstart by eliminating new taxes and cuts in budgets to vital departments that assist business in the higher education system.

Reporter: Like last week's a simile budget season kickoff, the session lasted all day.

For many groups this will be there one and only chance to speak up before circumstances here and in Washington dictate the ultimate outcome.

David Cruz, NJ Spotlight News.

Anchor: Tune in to Chat Box tomorrow night where David continues his new series, the gubernatorial challengers, talking every week with candidates about why they want to be New Jersey's next governor.

This week he goes one-on-one with the Jersey City Mayor and the njea advisory board member.

Presidents have the power to appoint Cabinet leaders and other high-level officials to shape their administration and its priorities.

One of those appointments is the U.S. attorney for each state.

In New Jersey President Trump has appointed his former personal attorney, Alina Habba, who President Trump said will lead with the diligence and conviction that has defined her career and she will fight tirelessly for the system that is fair and just for the wonderful people of New Jersey.

Her appointment would typically go through a Senate approval process but that is not happening.

I'm joined by our correspondent to add clarity on how the process is playing out.

Great to talk to you, as you reported recently, Alina Habba has been named interim U.S. Attorney for New Jersey.

What does the interim part of her title mean for the Senate approval process?

Ben: She skirts around it.

There will not be a hearing.

There typically are not hearings for U.S. attorneys for the 90-plus U.S. attorneys across the nation but there is typically input from state senators and that's not the case this time.

Anchor: There is usually a vetting and approval process by the U.S. Senate, one is looked at in that process?

Ben: This is the kind of job you have to submit a financial disclosure statement and convey potential conflict of interest.

It fits a pattern I would say with Trump tapping Habba to be interim U.S. attorney.

It is a broader pattern that stems from his first term in office, which is going around the Senate altogether.

Jobs that would typically need Senate confirmation and sidestepping entirely the Senate.

Anchor: Republicans have control of the Senate so wouldn't it seem she would be easily confirmed?

Ben: Likely and Republicans have gotten through really controversial picks like Kash Patel and RFK Junior.

The unusual part about Habba that even in this era transcends normal political practice is she is a hardened loyalist to President Trump.

That might seem common as a theme for viewers at home but for U.S. attorneys, these are typically under Republican presidents, more conservative people and under Democratic presidents more liberal but they are typically trained prosecutors with a background in this.

Her background is the leader of a small firm in New Jersey and as the personal attorney to the president.

This is a departure from norms.

To me it seems akin to John F. Kennedy when he was president naming his brother as Attorney General.

It's a very tight bond and unusual, highly unusual.

Anchor: This is an office that was held once by former Governor Chris Christie, it was held by Chief Justice Samuel Alito.

It's a position that requires some teeth.

You said she was President Trump's personal attorney.

She said she's coming after corruption in New Jersey.

What have you heard from her?

Ben: She made statements at the White House earlier this week that she was, obligate statement targeting corruption in New Jersey.

She made references to Cory Booker and Governor Murphy specifically and then criticized Camden and Newark broadly about corruption but there were no specifics.

When I asked the governor's office and Senator Booker's office their thoughts, both declined to comment on the record.

Habba is, as I said a few times now, highly unusual, she is a campaign surrogate when the president was running in the fall.

She's not a typical prosecutor, she views Democrats I would say with disdain, I think that's a fair statement.

Anchor: If she stays in the interim role, what are the limitations on how she can do her job, investigate and litigate cases given the time limit around and interim?

Ben: This gets back to what Trump did in his first term, he would tap people to be filling interim roles and they would lapse and he might name some of the else or the position would stay vacant.

At this point there are few guardrails other than public scrutiny.

Anchor: Our Washington DC correspondent, you can read more of his reporting on our website.

Great to talk to you.

President Trump has invoked a wartime law called the alien enemies act that allows the president to detain and deport citizens of an enemy nation without due process.

The president used the law to deport some 200 Finis Whalen's he says are part of a gang.

-- 200 Venezuelans he says are part of a gang.

But a district court judge had blocked the plans.

We have more on that and reaction from immigration advocates.

>> There is a lot of fear and anxieties right now.

Reporter: New Jersey advocates watched horrified as soldiers offloaded 238 Venezuelans, deported to a prison insult Salvador -- risen in El Salvador but critics call the move propaganda for a political agenda masquerading as immigration enforcement.

It is sending a partisan message says Amy Torres with a jerseys alliance for immigrant justice.

>> The implicit suggestion, look how dangerous these people are, these are the measures we have to take where we have to shackle them, have them frog marched in and we have to shave their heads.

We have 230-plus people being disappeared and held as political prisoners.

>> These were bad people, it was a bad group.

Reporter: The president says 137 of these men belong to a dangerous criminal gang and he rightfully invoked the alien enemies act of 1798 even though Congress intended the law to be used as a safeguard only during wartime.

>> These are criminals, many criminals, murderers, drug dealers at the highest level, drug lords, people from mental institutions, that is an invasion, they have invaded our country.

In that since this is war.

>> We are not out war, there hasn't been a determination that these people who were removed and detained are even members of the gang.

Reporter: This professor noted detainees included legitimate asylum-seekers and some arrested simply for their tattoos.

Moreover, the Trump Administration also ignored a federal judge's order to return after the plane left for El Salvador, noting the court has all the facts it needs and the state secrets privilege forecloses further demands for details.

>> They ignored the judges order , and if they did, that's a constitutional crisis.

It is unprecedented, there's no case law or support for this kind of implication of power.

Reporter: The court functions as the ultimate backstop the ACLU says, and if the administration applies the act without oversight -- >> Is being unlawfully used to target and accelerate mass deportations they've been planning.

When it comes to due process, that means they are sidestepping the laws Congress set up that protect all of us a an unfair and unjust use of the law.

Reporter: There is a jersey angle.

When the alien enemies act was invoked in World War II, Italian, German and Japanese nationals were confined at Ellis Island.

After Pearl Harbor, immigration officials housed detainees in the great Hall, including 100 34 Japanese living in New Jersey, according to this researcher.

>> They investigated them and rounded them up and after a hearing at the federal building, they took those people they believed to be a danger to Ellis Island and imprisoned them on Ellis Island.

I want the point out that they gave them a hearing.

Reporter: The government also housed some 50 Germans, mostly women, at an immigration station in Gloucester City and brought thousands of Japanese from interment camps out West to work at a farm in Cumberland County.

>> They were held under the threat of federal imprisonment and all of this was a backdrop to the depending -- impending deportations.

In their cases, they won the right to remain in the U.S. and deportation orders were suspended essentially in June 1947.

Reporter: Under U.S. law, the detainees got their day in court.

The once sent to El Salvador did not.

>> That's why this is troubling, it denies due process and when the alien enemies act is invoked and even despite a judges order, the plane didn't come back.

Reporter: Court battles over the administration's actions continue.

Anchor: Good mental health sometimes means a game plan, that's the message a group of Newark public school students received at an event today dedicated to teen mental health.

They learned how to develop a playbook to support themselves with input from professional football players who opened up about their own struggles.

Raven Santana has more on what they shared and what students learned.

Reporter: Over 200 students from 17 high schools across Newark attended the district's inaugural health conference titled mind over matter.

The event, held at Montclair State University, was organized with the help of a supervisor in the district student and support services.

She openly shared her personal struggles with anxiety and kicked off the conference by educating students on the vital importance of mental health.

>> I want you guys to know that when our minds are healthy, we perform better in school.

We are better able to focus and retain information and we can excel in our studies.

We want to make sure we have all the tools we need to excel.

Reporter: At the football themed event, presenters focused on creating a mental health playbook so students could recognize signs of crisis in themselves and their peers.

>> If you don't care of yourself first you can help others.

Today we will talk about recognizing signs, having conversations and how to connect to support.

We will take notes.

Reporter: Keeping up with the theme, current and former professional football players shared strategies including coping mechanisms.

>> Your mistake does not make you a mistake.

How you choose to respond to the circumstances will determine what reality is.

>> In this day and age, everything is on the Internet.

Everything we do runs to the Internet.

The opinions and voices they hear on the Internet, you truly have to take with a grain of salt.

You have to turn a shoulder to them sometimes.

Like I said, those same people talking about you on the Internet were not there when times matter the most.

Reporter: Students I spoke to set the session provided practical tools, skills and resources to support their community at school.

>> The point I would take to my classmates is giving somebody the space and comfort at the same time because not everybody wants a student to be on them and sometimes they need the backup in the space but they need you to listen.

A lot of people just know how to give judgment, they don't know how to take in information and support.

>> I took away the overall story .

It was a greater understanding that I'm not alone in struggling with mental health.

I have learned and as I watched during the presentation you can navigate mental health.

Reporter: Students will be responsible for sharing the knowledge and tools they learned to break stigma around mental health and ensure that students don't feel isolated or alone.

I am Raven Santana.

Anchor: That will do it for us tonight.

You can download our podcast wherever you listen and watch us any time by subscribing to our YouTube channel, and follow us on Instagram or blue sky to stay up-to-date on headlines.

For the entire team, thank you for being with us.

Have a great evening and we will see you tomorrow.

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