- Finally tonight, we turn to the growing clash between local and federal governments, with several New Jersey cities at the center of it, including Hoboken, where Mayor Ravi Bhalla is standing firm in his refusal to rescind Hoboken's sanctuary policy, despite sharp warnings from the Trump administration and a direct threat from U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi.

The Department of Justice has targeted Hoboken, Newark, and Paterson, accusing their policies of obstructing immigration enforcement, threatening criminal charges if they continue.

Mayor Bhalla joins us now to talk about why he's not backing down and what's at stake.

Mayor Bhalla, thanks so much for coming on the show.

You've called the administration's demands about sanctuary apologies egregious, distressing.

Why are you taking such a strong stance on this?

We're taking a strong stance on this because this goes to the core of our identity as Americans and in Hoboken as a city.

We are a city based upon immigrants, based upon people who believe in equal rights under the law.

The fundamental principle of our constitution is that all people are to be treated equally under the law.

And the immigration policies that are being enforced in various cities around the country by the federal government are not only unconstitutional, but they run against the very values of our country and the city of Hoboken.

So when we signed a sanctuary or a fair and welcoming city policy back in 2018, it was important to send a message that everyone is equal in the city of Hoboken, no matter your immigration status, race, gender, sexual orientation.

That's why we want to make sure that that fundamental precept is reaffirmed through these policies.

Are you concerned, though, about some of the threats that the attorney general, U.S. Attorney General, has made, either professionally, personally, about facing legal consequences for going forward with these policies and the loss of funding that it could lead to for your city and the services that your residents rely on?

We're not concerned about the loss of funding because that has already been affirmed by federal courts that any loss of funding under the Fifth Amendment, the Tenth Amendment is unconstitutionally vague, violates due process.

That has been also challenged by the Trump administration much earlier with respect to the immigrant trust directive.

The Trump administration lost.

They also lost to Philadelphia when they tried to challenge the sanctuary policies there.

So we are not concerned.

I find-- But they are threatening, though, to withhold public safety, law enforcement grants, and funding tied to some of these policies, which our Attorney General is suing over.

Yes.

And if they do try to make that nexus, that will be challenged in court.

And we are very confident we will prevail.

We are not afraid to defend our city and our country.

What is happening across the country is unconstitutional.

It's un-American.

And it's, frankly, disgraceful.

So we will fight tooth and nail.

We will not back down from the Trump administration and the federal government's policy with respect to immigration enforcement.

And I'll tell you, we will not devote local tax dollars and the city's local resources to enforcing unconstitutional, un-American policies.

I was going to ask you about your own personal concerns, but it sounds to me like you are putting this beyond that or above that.

You have said, though, Mayor, that you are willing to look at some potential changes to the policy.

Can you shed a little light on that and what those may or may not be?

Sure.

We adopted this policy back on January 1st, 2018, during the first Trump administration.

Since 2018, in the second administration or second term of the president, you've seen a much more aggressive approach towards federal immigration enforcement.

That gives me concerns.

I see ICE raids across the country.

I see families torn apart.

I see U.S. residents and lawful residents being detained in inhumane conditions and deported in a way that violates the law.

So we want to make sure that our protections at the local level are broad enough to speak to the current moment in our country where we have an administration that is completely unhinged and has no respect for the rule of law whatsoever.

When you have a government, a federal government, that has no respect for the rule of law, it's mayors and cities that are on the front line of protecting communities.

You have an obligation as local mayors to make sure that our residents are safe and protected, and that's why we're looking to revise our policies to make sure that they actually meet that current moment.

Let me just ask you quickly, Mayor, what do you say then to residents in your city who may support stronger immigration enforcement and who may believe that the city should comply with these federal demands?

Well, we say to them that we will and we have cooperated with the federal government and worked in a very productive way with the federal government in many respects.

And you know, there are too many to name.

And we will continue to do that.

But with respect to the enforcement of federal immigration policy, that's the exclusive jurisdiction of the federal government.

And it's not appropriate for local resources to be devoted to the enforcement of federal immigration law.

That's simply the job of the federal government.

But we will not impede, we will not interfere, we will not harbor, we will not obstruct the enforcement of federal immigration law, but we will also not devote local resources towards that enforcement.

Hoboken Mayor Ravi Bhalla thanks again so much for your time.

Thanks for having me.

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