SCHEPISI AND HUGIN’S VILIFICATION OF IMMIGRANTS IS WRONG, SAYS NEW JERSEY DEMOCRATS’ DELGADO-POLANCO

[Trenton] — Today, New Jersey Democratic State Committee Vice Chair Lizette Delgado Polanco issued the following statement in regard to Assemblywoman Schepisi’s attack on Senator Bob Menendez:

“Assemblywoman Schepisi’s attack on Senator Bob Menendez is as divorced from reality as it is plain wrong. However, just like Bob Hugin, considering she aligned herself to bigotry and racism as she stood by a Confederate flag-embracing official, this is no surprise.”

“It’s pretty clear that Bob Hugin and Assemblywoman Schepisi are unable to move beyond their pernicious xenophobia to understand that ‘sanctuary’ policies serve to promote cooperation with law enforcement.

“Even worse, Assemblywoman Schepisi doubled down on Bob Hugin’s pledge to vilify all immigrants and utilize every ounce of political capital to decimate immigrant families and communities in return for advancing a far-right Trump agenda. This is an insult to the immigrant community who have worked hard to build our country.

She also may be surprised to learn that Senator Menendez has devoted his entire political career fighting to protect immigrants from her party’s attacks and whose record to the immigrant community is unparalleled. As a key member of the bipartisan ‘Gang of Eight,’ he shepherded comprehensive, bipartisan legislation through the Senate. Unfortunately, Republicans in the House refused to even consider it. He fought vigorously for the eventual implementation of DACA, has fought against Republican efforts to deport Dreamers since, and against Trump’s mass deportation agenda.

“All the while Assemblywoman Schepisi has fought to maintain her A-rating by the NRA. She has voted against keeping guns out of the hands of domestic abusers and voted against getting rid of the massive magazines that were used to slaughter dozens in Aurora, Las Vegas, Orlando, and Sandy Hook.

“This vulgar manipulation of Senator Menendez’s record and Hugin’s political, cynical immigration ploy is textbook Donald Trump deception and fosters an opportunity for expansion of Trump’s egregious policies. This bigoted branding of immigrants only permits suspicion and bias towards law-abiding immigrants. Instead of pandering to the far-right, both should spend some time researching the issues affecting New Jersey’s working families and diverse immigrant communities.”