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Anchor: Tonight on "NJ Spotlight News," fire crews continue that link the Jennings Creek wildfire as it grows to 3500 acres.

Strong winds are complicating efforts with more than a dozen buildings and roads now affected.

Also, taking on Trump.

The New Jersey Attorney General joins me to discuss his Val to fight Trump Administration policies in New Jersey.

>> When those laws and rights are violated, I am the People's lawyer, I have taken an oath to protect the 9.3 million people of this state and that's what we are going to do.

Anchor: Plus, protecting immigrants.

Civil rights advocates prepare for President elect Donald Trump's return to the White House and plan for his mass deportation policy.

>> We should be confident in Trump's promise that mess deportation is part of his plan.

How we go parted -- go about it is important to answer.

Anchor: And as those fire crews try to control wildfires across the state, how to mitigate severe drought conditions in New Jersey.

"NJ Spotlight News" begins right now.

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

Anchor: Good evening and thank you for joining us on this Tuesday night.

We begin with our top headlines.

First, thousands of acres in North Jersey still in flames tonight as fire crews contend with gusty winds fueling and spreading the Jennings Creek wildfire in Passaic County.

The New Jersey fire fire -- firefighter service said they have managed to scale it back from roughly 35 acres -- 3500 acres to just short of 2300.

It's 10% contained in West Milford and about 20% contained in Orange County, New York.

Officials in West Milford say they stopped asking for help from local departments and continue to work with counterparts in New York.

The fire started Friday and claimed the life of an 18-year-old firefighter when a tree fell on him.

Two other injuries were reported, one from smoke inhalation that required hospitalization.

The forest fire service says no evacuations are being ordered at this time but 10 structures are threatened, including two homes in Passaic County.

The National Weather Service issued a red flag warning for New Jersey through 6:00 this evening.

The fire service says crews are making process despite significant challenges from dry conditions and increased winds.

>> We are in a place where we are actively engaging the fire and our tactics seem to be holding the line in New Jersey.

I am hearing good reports from the field about what is going on even with current wind conditions.

Anchor: Also, the pool of candidates who want to be New Jersey's next governor continues growing.

The problem is most New Jersey governors don't know who they are.

According to a new poll released today, large majorities of voters either don't know or don't have opinions on any of the declared or potential candidates.

For example, on the Democratic side, more than 50% of those polled have never heard of the mayors of the states two longest -- largest cities.

The former Senate president only fared slightly better, while Sean Spiller is spending a lot of time and money in his gubernatorial bid.

65% of voters have no idea who he is.

Same goes for these sitting Congress members, who are rumored to run.

No different for the GOP, Jack Ciattarelli came within three points of beating Governor Murphy in the last election yet 41% of voters told the Eagleton poll they don't know him.

More than 60% of voters surveyed don't know this conservative radio host.

Eagleton says while this isn't uncommon, it shows how much ground candidates need to make up between now and primaries.

>> This is pretty expected given we have no incumbent, there's a wide field and we have an open seat going into this and we don't have any front runner yet.

Murphy was still pretty much unknown or voters did not hold an opinion of him as he was running and even at the beginning of his first term.

This is nothing new.

I think it points to how widely unknown and how much ground these candidates will need to make up and build as they are going to enter the thick of the race next year.

Anchor: President elect Donald Trump is wasting no time assembling his cabinet and senior staff of four a second term in the White House.

Tapping trusted allies to carry out his agenda, sending a clear message on the policies he will champion through his choices to serve in the administration.

Among them, the South Dakota Governor to surface the next secretary of the Department of Homeland Security.

She is a hardliner on immigration and was rumored to be Trump's choice for a vice president running mate this summer but sturdy scandal after admitting in a memoir she shot and killed her dog because it was on trainable.

Marco Rubio has been tapped as Secretary of State, and Lee Zeldin to lead the Environmental Protection Agency, a sign he will likely lean on the EPA to roll back environmental regulations.

New York rep presented of Elise Stefanik is being tapped as the next ambassador to the United Nations, Tom Homan will be the border czar, and there are selections for top policy posts within the White House.

As Trump builds his administration, Democratic governors and attorneys general across the country are plotting their resistance either through lawsuits or legislation to thwart some of the President-elect's most controversial proposals, especially when it comes to issues like immigration, reproductive and LGBTQ+ rights.

New Jersey's AG this weekend posted on social media that he is ready to take on the Trump Administration, vowing if the future president unlawfully attacks the rights of Garden State residents, he will see him in court.

The Attorney General joins me now.

Thank you for your time.

You had tough boards for the President-elect this weekend at a rally in Jersey City as well as through statements online.

What do you see as at the potential sources for litigation or maybe legislation in New Jersey?

What issues are you most concerned about coming out from the White House?

>> First of all, as I have said, we respect the outcome of an election, we had a free, fair and safe election in New Jersey and some of the things President Trump has said on the campaign trail and have been said in the 920 some odd page project 2025 document clearly violate or would violate people's rights.

We are prepared to step in and stand up for them if his administration undermines their rights in ways that violate the law.

Anchor: Let me take one topic, immigration.

Are you prepared to have law enforcement stand down if in fact the Trump Administration calls for mass deportations or deportations of any sort?

What would that look like here?

Mr. Platkin: We've had rules of the road with respect to law enforcement on immigration enforcement for several years.

It predates my time in office and they have been here.

It's hard to give a blanket answer.

We will take each issue on a case-by-case analysis.

First and foremost we want to assure public safety, which we have done.

You are safer in New Jersey now then you literately have ever been, gun violence is at historically low levels and we will continue to fight for that.

But we've also fought for the rights of residents and stood up for dreamers, there are hundreds of thousands of dreamers, people who all they know is this country, they are lawfully contributing through the DACA program Pugh did we have stood up for them and will continue to do so.

Anchor: You made a point of noting that out of all of the lawsuits, of which there were hundreds wrought on the Trump Administration during his first term, three quarters, more than three quarters were successful.

Do you still feel that will be the case with a Republican-controlled Congress and potentially more positions on the bench selected Republicans?

Mr. Platkin: As I said him and you note, 80% of the cases filed in the first administration were successful because they routinely violated the law.

These cases were impactful.

There are millions of people with health care today and access to reproductive health care today because of those lawsuits.

There are millions of people safer from gun violence because of our willingness to stand up for constitutional gun violence prevention laws.

There are kids who drink clean water and breathe clean air thanks to our lawsuits upholding commonsense environmental regulations.

But I don't wake up every morning dying to sue the federal administration.

It's when his actions cross over and violate the laws and undermine rights of our residents that violate those laws or our Constitution, that is when we will step in and we are prepared to do so.

Anchor: Let me bring up two more points.

You brought up in an article that potentially an aggressive reading of the Comstock act could thwart even some of the codification of abortion laws in New Jersey.

How so?

Are you really concerned about that becoming an issue?

Mr. Platkin: You have to be because they've talked about it on the campaign trail and in project 2025.

You have to take their word at face value.

An aggressive reading of the Comstock act could extend beyond even abortion care to all forms of reproductive or contraceptive health care.

We have made clear in New Jersey that reproductive health care is a right enshrined in our state law.

I've had reproductive rights strikeforce stood up since the days immediately following the Dobbs decision.

We've protected authorities and regulatory tools, access to reproductive health care in the state, and repercussions for those who threaten those who have a lawful right.

Anchor: Given some of the stringent laws New Jersey has, you mentioned reproductive rights but also protections for LGBTQ community, gun regulations , what do you say to critics thinking you are being too aggressive, he's not in office yet and you're jumping the gun?

Mr. Platkin: We haven't filed anything, all we've said is we are prepared.

I think the residents of the state should rest easy knowing we are prepared and we take a reading of the law.

Anchor: Attorney General, thank you so much for your time.

Mr. Platkin: Thank you for having me.

Anchor: With the deportation of the top of the Trump Administration's priorities, immigrant rights activists in New Jersey also say they are preparing to act and planning for the potential of those mass deportations.

Nonprofits, local leaders and even the Attorney General have swung into action, educating immigrant communities about their rights.

And as David Cruz reports, pushing for more protections at the state level.

>> Illegal aliens that Joe Biden unleashed on a country in violation of federal law, you better start packing now.

Reporter: Former director of immigration and customs enforcement is President-elect trumps a new order czar with broad powers to implement strict of policies.

He's made it clear that a new hard line on immigration is imminent and it could include raids on workplaces hospitals and areas were undocumented people gather.

The President-elect has also named immigration hardliner Stephen Miller as Deputy Chief of Staff.

Both men have raised the specter of prison camps as a precursor to mass deportations.

Advocates and activists here were quick to mobilize with a demonstration in Jersey City over the weekend where the feeling was a Mr. of fear and defiance -- mixture of fear and defiance.

Amy: The fear is what is to come from the Trump Administration but also our leaders might not be willing to stand up to defend the state.

Reporter: But Torres says she was heartened by the expressions of support from law enforcement officials like the state Attorney General, and political leaders like the Newark Mayor.

Amy: Of all the states, nobody bosses New Jersey around and I think there's an opportunity to demonstrate leadership especially as we head into state elections in 2025.

>> If you believe for one second that these folks think you're going to be safe because I didn't break the law so I'm OK, no.

It means they want to get rid of everyone.

Not just people who broke laws.

Your presence here in their mind is breaking the law.

They want to remove everyone.

If you don't understand that, we are confused and we have to make sure everybody understands we are all in danger.

Nedia: I think we should be confident that mass deportations are part of the plan, how we go about it is important to answer in the next three months.

Will they begin to racially profile folks, which would result in immediate action by groups like the ACLU, but they could still do it.

Would it be some sort of list?

If so, what lists?

Reporter: Meanwhile, immigration attorneys are gearing up for a new reality of a mass deportation efforts, detentions and executive orders aimed at a population effectively demonized by the President-elect and his run-up to the election.

This woman is with the initiative at Rutgers Law school and says immigrant communities will have to prepare for a dangerous new reality.

Leena: Outside of that I think it will be the targeting of anyone without authorization.

Police conducting enforcement actions and the weakening of sanctuary cities will create an extremely difficult and hostile atmosphere that will also be consistent with President Trump's agenda.

The conditions of employment and living so hostile.

Reporter: On immigration, the immigration has come along way from one leader who promised much but was able to deliver very little, to a new one bent on a total course reversal, armed with an electoral mandate and a political landscape seemingly cleared for achieving his goals.

I'm David Cruz, "NJ Spotlight News."

Anchor: As we mentioned earlier, most of New Jersey is facing severe drought conditions that have fueled wildfires and added to their dangerous.

During a public hearing today, the state DEP addressed whether it will issue a statewide drought morning, expected to come tomorrow.

Senior correspondent Brenda Flanagan reports on the latest conditions and what the warning will mean for you.

>> I can see a very bleak picture across the entire state, one that is only worsening.

Reporter: The New Jersey scientists gave a grim report, the state desperately needs rain, wildfires rage, and streams, rivers and reservoir levels have dropped, below 45% in one area that supplies millions of people in North Jersey.

>> These are low levels and dropping and we believe they will continue to drop in the coming weeks and less print -- receive significant rainfall.

Reporter: The DEP needed to gather the information before declaring a drought morning.

New Jersey is already in a drought watch after logging the third driest September this year.

In the state broke records for lack of rainfall last month.

>> Along came a map I never thought as a climatologist I would see, essentially shut out for precipitation in the month of October.

The state averaged 0.02 inches of rainfall in October.

Normal would be 4.19 inches.

Reporter: A drought morning declaration by the DEP Commissioner could involve restrictions on reservoirs and water companies.

It is one level below a water emergency declaration by the governor.

In Livingston where a wildfire flared over 190 acres two weeks ago, water department officials complained the DEP Should have acted sooner.

>> The double whammy and that we have a risk of wildfires and we need to use water resources to fight these fires.

I think this declaration to morning should have occurred sooner.

If this drought persists next year we will get slammed.

Reporter: She joins -- he joins several advocates and water managers to crack down on those who water their lawns.

>> I have to agree, using drinking water to water lawns is crazy and always has been.

My comment is I thought the drought watch warning was late and I would really like to move to drought emergency so we stop people from watering their lawns.

>> The point that has to be made is one out of every three gallons being used in the summer is irrigation.

A small fraction of homeowners are irrigating we have to start putting some type of regulation on that.

Reporter: The drought is having outside impact on farms and worry homeowners who draw their supplies from groundwater.

>> It has been brutal above normal temperature.

The winds have been unusually windy and breezy, which adds insult to injury.

We've been managing our vegetable crops.

We only use a drip irrigation and we've been running it pretty much nonstop.

>> I would like to know if anyone is collecting any information on private drinking water wells and if there has been any reports of private drinking wells being negatively impacted by the drought.

Reporter: The deadly welfare's and water restrictions arise from climate change that -- says this conservation advocate.

>> We are not Arizona and the culture ask like we will never be Arizona and that is a red flag because climate change means we will see extremes on both sides.

We are in the midst of one of those extremes right now.

Reporter: The DEP Is expected to issue an update tomorrow.

Brenda Flanagan, NJ Spotlight News.

Anchor: Finally, we continue reporting on the importance of lead screening during pregnancy.

Not just one a child is born.

The practice isn't required in New Jersey or nationally but a wreckers program supported by funding from the CDC is not only detecting unsafe levels of heavy metals in pregnant moms, it is protecting babies from dangerous and even deadly effects.

Senior correspondent Joanna Gagis reports.

>> I felt really worried when I was told the baby would have led in his blood and I also had led.

Reporter: Maria had no idea she'd been exposed to lead when she was pregnant with her son in 2022.

She found out when she went to University for prenatal care weight into her third trimester and was included in the lead screening program funded by the CDC and run by Rikers health.

>> She did have blood drawn and had a lead level at that time of 31.

Two weeks later when she delivered, the lead level was 74.

Anyone with a lead level of greater than 3.5 micrograms per liter should consider as having elevated lead.

Reporter: Led is associated with a number of illnesses, including preeclampsia and high blood pressure, and in infants can cause low birth weight in interfere with brain development.

And greater than 20 times the CDC threshold, Maria's case was deemed a medical crisis and she and her baby had to undergo treatment.

>> It draws of the metal, not only led, mercury and other metals, out of the bloodstream, and binds the medication and it is excreted by the body.

>> I received treatment for one week and I believe with the treatment it went down to 5%.

Reporter: The screening program that caught the lead exposure is called the heavy metals screening for pregnant women and children and operates between three entities, University Hospital, where the patients are seen, Rikers health, where the doctor is in charge of the screening, and New Jersey's Poison Control Center, where this Dr. offers guidance on treatment.

>> What is important that the program has shown is screening early.

Reporter: University Hospital sees about 1400 infant births per year.

In the five years since they began the testing program, about 14% of those births are babies with elevated lead levels.

>> I don't know where it came from.

Reporter: They never found the source of lead but Maria's exposure put her at greater risk of passing on led to her baby girl.

In certain cases of lead exposure, especially when a person is young, let can settle into the bones and be re-mobilized during pregnancy, passing from mother to fetus.

>> There are situations where the bone is undergoing turnover or change which may release some of that led from the bone back into the bloodstream and that's where you detect it.

Those situations include pregnancy.

I can also include breast-feeding.

When lead is mobilized from the bone, we see the lead level rise.

Not in a large magnitude on its own.

Reporter: Because E mobilization does not cause large spikes, the team determined that Maria's exposure was acute, and while she and her daughter have tested below the 3.5 threshold.

As for her son, who is now two?

>> He is doing well, he is doing really well.

Reporter: The doctor is preparing to share his research with the American Academy of pediatrics asking that lead screenings move from the nine-month benchmark to screening at birth.

>> There is a missed opportunity.

Reporter: Why?

>> Brain development in the first nine months is critical.

Reporter: The bill is moving to the legislature now that was going pregnant moms in the first and third trimesters, looking for acute lead exposure and lead we mobilization.

In Newark, Joanna Gagis.

Anchor: That will do it for us tonight.

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

I am Briana Vannozzi.

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

Have a great night and we will see you tomorrow.

>> NJM insurance group.

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

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>> have some water.

Look at these kids.

What do you see?

I see myself.

I became an ESL teacher to give my students what I wanted when I came to this country.

The opportunity to learn, to dream, to achieve, a chance to be known and to be an American.

My name is Julia and I am proud to be an NJEA member.

♪ ♪