Hudson County Votes to End ICE Detentions by 2020

The legislative body of Hudson County, New Jersey, has decided to end a contract with Immigration and Customs Enforcement to detain immigrants at the county jail by 2020. At a meeting Thursday night, members of the board of freeholders said the delay will give them enough time to find ways to replace the tens of millions of dollars in revenue they currently receive from ICE.

Not everyone was satisfied by the vote. A coalition of activist groups led by the American Civil Liberties Union expressed concern that the board could later vote to extend the contract beyond 2020. Meanwhile, attorneys for immigrants held at the jail said ending the contract could hurt their clients, almost all of whom are from New York, because the detainees would be moved to other states where they may not have access to attorneys. Others called on officials to continue holding immigrants but devote the revenue to improving conditions there.

During the meeting, three former detainees testified about the inhumane treatment they received at the county jail. One man said he had been repeatedly raped while in custody. He pointed at the officer to whom he had reported the incidents, and who was sitting in the meeting room, and the officer confirmed that he was aware of what happened. The jail's director, who was also present, said there is a zero tolerance policy for sexual assault and promised an investigation.

WNYC's Matt Katz spoke to Richard Hake.