All right. Good evening everyone. Welcome to the meeting of the mayor and council of Princeton, New Jersey. Today is July 14th, 2025. All right. All right, if everybody could come in and get their seat and just uh quiet down, that'd be great. So we can start the meeting. Uh madame clerk,
could you read the meeting statement, please? Notice of this meeting was provided in accordance with the requirements of the open public meetings act and state regulations governing public meetings, including the time, date, and location
of the meeting, and clear and concise instructions to the public for accessing the meeting and making comments. In addition, the agenda and all related materials were posted electronically and made available to the public on Princeton's meeting portal in advance of the meeting. Thank you very much. I'll read the land
acknowledgement. We gathered today on the land of the Lenny Lape. As members of the Princeton community, we aspire to show appreciation, respect, and concern for all peoples and our environment. We honor the Lapi and other indigenous
caretakers of these lands and waters, the elders who lived here before, the indigenous today, and the generations to come. We have roll call, please. Mr. McDonald here. Miss Peron Lamrose here. Mr. Cohen here. Miss Saxs,
Miss Frogga here, Mr. Nulan here, Mayor Freda here. Thank you. If you're able and you wish, we're going to do the pledge of allegiance. you could stand and join us. I pledge algiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the
republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Thank you. Okay, first up, we have three sets of minutes. April 14th, April 22nd, and
April 28th from this year. Uh David move I'll move the miss block. Thank you very much. Is there I'm recusing myself from uh the 28th I wasn't here. Okay. All right. Uh
he's seconding them as a block. Thank you very much. All right. Those in in favor of all three sets of minutes say I. I. I. Um well you know what? I'm sorry. Let's do it this way. Would you mind amending the motion since Leticia could vote on
the first two? Could you do move the first two and then we'll do the third one separately? Sure. I move the first two. Thanks, Brian. Second. Okay. All right. So, we're moving the April 14th and April 22nd. All in favor, please say I. I. I. Thank you very much. Okay. Now, we'll
move the David, do you want to move the I will move the 28th. Yes. Okay. Second. Thank you very much. Those in favor, please say I. I. I. Nay. Abstensions. Thank you very much. Okay, announcements and reports. Any
council members with Michelle? Thank you, mayor. Uh there's an opportunity I just wanted to share. Uh the New Jersey uh economic development authority has an initiative. They have the New Jersey Motion Picture
and TV uh commission and they have a program called Film Ready New Jersey. I attended the seminar last summer along with Raina who was our municipal clerk at the time. Uh there is a five-step certification and marketing program to
educate put these on to educate municipalities on the basics of motion picture and television production and enabling uh cities and towns to effectively accommodate onloation filming and marketing um for their communities as a filming destination. Uh
the program sets basic standards for attracting filmm and positions the state as a top production destination. So look out Hollywood. Uh the film ready designation provides an elevated platform for certified communities to promote themselves as filming
destinations and connects film and TV professionals with skilled and knowledgeable leaison across the state. They can provide local expertise and support to create easier, faster and better access to nearby resources and location information. So this has huge
potential economic development benefits uh when Princeton is selected to film a TV show, a film, a series. And with so much content development these days, um putting this into place I think makes good sense. So, um, we have a sample
ordinance that, you know, I'd like, if everyone agrees to have our attorney take a look at it, review it, and then bring it back to council. Uh, this makes it simple. Um, and it's part of the five-step uh, certification. The another step is to designate I'd like to
designate Bernie as the town's film design with Dawn, our m municipal clerk, as the backup. And then the rest of the tasks uh three, four and five really can take place um with experience Princeton. They've been working on locating of um
photos of various locations, writing descriptions of the locations, gaining permissions, and then um compiling a directory of business services. So if everyone agrees or if you have any questions, I think it's a worthwhile pursuit and like to move it forward.
Thank you. Other council Leticia. Yes, thank you. Uh so currently our human services director um human services department is in the process of conducting the 16th annual uh back to
school backpack drive. And this is for uh to benefit students from kindergarten up to 8th grade. For any families wishing to participate to be recipients of the backpack and school supplies, uh
please contact human services department. Uh the application deadline is August 1st. We are also uh looking for donors to uh who wish to donate to the backpack drive. Uh please contact
our human services department for more information. Thank you. Do we have other council announcements or reports? David, sorry. Yeah, I just wanted to mention that the uh municipalities vision zero web page went live in the past week or so. Um
this is a information center for um both what the municipality is doing to try and reduce um traffic deaths and uh serious injuries but also uh what how citizens can get involved. Uh, one thing
in particular that I want to encourage everyone to do is there is a pledge uh that involves the things it takes to be a safe driver. Following the speed limit, not using your phone while you're in the car. I know it sounds impossible,
but um I encourage everyone to take a look and take the pledge. And we have awesome bumper magnets that you get if you do take the pledge. So, uh, but there there's also the ability to, um, report unsafe roadway conditions that
you notice on cclick fix, which is our municipal portal for communicating, uh, easily with the government. So, uh, I just encourage everybody to take it check it out. Uh, when you go to the municipal website, the initiative is right on the landing landing page and,
um, see, uh, see everything that we're doing in that in that direction. Thank you. Sure, Michelle. I'd just like to thank Councilman Cohen for your leadership on vision zero and bringing this forward and and doing all the work that you've been doing with the
task force. Appreciate it. Any other late? Thank you, Mark. I just want to, you know, remind people that joint effort safe streets campaign will take place during the first week of August where on an annual basis the Witherspoon Jackson neighborhood is celebrated through
community discussion, uh, neighborhood events, community building events and youth sports and basketball. So, um, look out for it in the, um, local newspaper in the newsletter. Uh, it's a good time and, uh, everyone is invited. Thank you, mayor.
Thank you. Any other council announcements or reports? Okay. Any uh Deanna? All right. Next is the chief's monthly report. Chief of police. Thank you, Mayor. Um May was a busy
month for us in terms of uh some community policing activities that we did. I just want to highlight a few of them. Um we did a K9 presentation at the Riverside School. Um we had started a partnership a few years ago at the Mercer County Technical
Schools. Um they have a criminalistics program and we go over there and we teach and uh help them with their testing. So we did that during the month of May. And then we also um we had a meeting with um Princeton Shopping Center with their security team and the
merchants just to um go over some basic security stuff and we're going to plan some events later in the year closer to the holiday season about shoplifting and stuff to look for that type of stuff. Um and then I just want to bring up three events that we have coming up. Uh July
23rd we're doing for the first time. It's a um mock traffic stops. It's aimed at new drivers. Um the first part of it's a classroom session where we kind of tell them what their rights are and kind of what to expect if you get pulled over. And then we actually go out into
the parking lot and we do mock traffic stops with the new drivers. Uh we have our youth academy coming up July 29th through the 31st and August 5th from 5:00 to 8 is community night out up here at the pool. So hopefully uh everybody can attend that. That's all I have. Uh if I have any questions for mayor and
council, be happy to answer them. Thank you, chief. Any questions for the chief on the monthly report? Okay. Thank you very much. All right. Next up are public comments for items not on the agenda. I did see
on the signup sheet that uh one person did sign up for an item that's on the agenda. So, you'll just need to wait till that item comes up. Um, in general, Leticia, do you mind helping me with this as I say a few things? Do you mind translating?
Okay. Um, for items not on the agenda, you see a right minute limit. Um, so anyway, as I just said, we'll say it in both languages. So, there's a
three-minute limit. When you come up, you start, you say your name and your address. You don't you don't have to give your exact address. You could just say you live in Princeton or wherever. for people that are here to talk about the immigration trust act.
Just remember that some people have asked if we would pass the immigration trust act. We cannot do that. That is a state action, not a local action. other people I know want to speak about asking us to pass a proclamation in favor of the immigration trust act
proclamation resolution sorry um uh resolution deact. We have asked our cares committee to review models of that resolution that other communities have passed and then
come back to the council at a future date with their recommendations. the cares. acronym that cares. Last uh my this this pen municipal. So, everyone is welcome to comment as they wish, but seeing all the people in
the room, it is okay to get up and say only a couple words or that you agree with the person that went ahead of you. Uh, I move. Thank you. Gracias. Okay. On the signup list, the first up
was Mr. William Shields. No, we we need to turn it on so the people on Zoom can hear you. My name is Phil Shields. I'm a resident of West Windsor, but actually a member of the Princeton Fire Department for over 55 years, been a past chief of the town and 25 years plus president of
engine company number one. The reason I'm here tonight is just want to enlighten the people to a few things. One, that picture over there, if you haven't seen, that's the upstairs meeting room in the Chester Street firehouse. When they've proposed the affordable housing in there, they're going to do a community room. I suggest
this is what we have going on now in that building. And the next photo is actually the stuff that's stored across the street, historical. Tell me how large a room is going to accommodate over 200 years of history from this department dating back to 1788. So, let me do my prepared statement and then
move on. So, we have can address other issues. Good evening. I stand before you today as former chief of the Princeton Fire Department and president of Princeton Engine Company number one and as a proud member of a family who legacy has been interwined with this vital institution for generations. The Princeton Fire
Company has been more than just a fire station on Ches Street. It been a cornerstone of the community, its history and the broader fire service of Princeton for nearly two centuries. The building we are speaking about is not just a structure. is the repository of stories, sacrifices, and memories that
have shaped this town. Upstairs in that firehouse, we have decades, or should I say centuries of historical memorabilia, including uniforms, photographs, and artifacts dating back to the 1800s. These are irreplaceable pieces of our collective past. Pieces that speak to
the bravery, dedication, and resilience of the men and women who served this town long before us. The propo the proposal to repurpose the firehouse for low-income housing project. While undoubtly well-intentioned risk erasing this history, a history that's not just
mine, but the history of every citizen of Princeton who had been benefited from the service and sacrifice of this department. The integrity of this building, the preservation of historical records, and a memory of its impact on our community must be taken into account before any changes are made. I ask not
just as a former leader of the fire company, but as someone who deeply cares about the town of Princeton, that we find a way to preserve this legacy. We cannot allow this building to be lost in time and its invaluable history be buried beneath the weight of modern development. It is possible to balance
the need for affordable housing with the preservations of our town history, but that will require thoughtful planning, community engagement, and above all respect for the sacrifices that has shaped the very fabric of Princeton. In closing, I urge you to reconsider the
proposed plan to explore alternatives that would honor both our present and our past. Let us find a way to ensure that the legacy of Princeton Engine Company number one, Princeton Fire Department engine number three, and Princeton Hook and Ladder is not erased, but preserved for future generations.
Thank you for your time and considerations. Thank you, Willie. Thank you. Can't comment to that. Okay. All right. The floor is open to anyone else that wants to make a comment
for anything that's not on the agenda. Good evening everyone. My name is Katherine Gonzalez. I'm 29 years old and I've lived in Princeton my entire life. I'm here to express my support for the Immigrant Trust Act resolution. Growing up in Princeton, I have seen how this
community has increasingly developed into a strong and welcoming town that embraces different walks of life. I would not be where I am today, a first generation college graduate pursuing my master's degree and an educator of nine years without the support of the
Princeton public services, schools, and community. However, that is not to say there weren't moments of darkness in my childhood. When I was in fifth grade, there were a lot of conversations about ICE raids that were happening. My family now lived in fear, and as a child, I had
to experience the reality that my parents may not be home when I came back from school. I felt completely helpless and felt as though we had nowhere to turn to. I was told that I was not allowed to speak to anyone about the situation and needed to be extremely careful. That same year, there was a
raid that happened at an apartment complex right on Lidle, up the street from my house. I could see the pain in my parents felt and could feel the deep sadness within our community. Members of our community were taken. These were people we knew, people who worked hard and were in search of a better life. As
a child, I knew there was a real possibility my parents could be next. I'm thankful that's not my story. However, it is the story of so many children within our community and in other communities around the state and this country. No child should have to
live in fear. No person should have to live in a fear. To have to hide at home and not attend summer camp or participate in outdoor activities due to their parents being unsure of who could be outdoors. To have to avoid going to doctor's offices to get important and
medically necessary care as they're uncertain of what they could encounter. To be afraid to go to their immigration court dates again and again, hearing news that people were taken right after leaving despite having followed every law and regulation. that fear and real
threat has returned once again and more intensely than ever. You have the power to give the community the reassurance by passing an immigrant trust act resolution. You are telling our community in a concrete way that you are there for them, that the municipality of
Princeton continues to be dedicated to making efforts towards the goals of the cause, setting the tone and culture of the town for all members of the community, including our public servants and first responders. I understand the concern that if the town passes this resolution, we are becoming targets for
ICE. However, I walk around daily as a target. Members of this community walk around as targets. We are all targets. This entire country is the fear is real and the only way through is together. Their safety and numbers in state 13 other cities in New Jersey have passed the resolution. I'm asking you to join
them. By passing the resolution, you continue the commitment you have to your community to protect the rights and civil liberties of our immigrant community and ensure a just and equitable environment for all free from discrimination and fear of deportation. Continue to stand by your community.
Pass the Immigrant Trust Act resolution. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. [Music] [Applause] Good evening. I am a Princeton resident speaking today in strong support of the Princeton immigrant trust act resolution
and I want to remind council that the directive from 2018 is only the floor and it's time to step up. Let's be clear with one thing. While this is not a policy, it is necessary as a first step toward meaningful protections for our
immigrant community. With the rapid changes at the federal level, we need our local leaders to take a stand. The 2018 directive and the police general order may have been appropriate for 2018 and the revision that came later in 2019, but they do not go far enough for
what we're facing today. This resolution gives Princeton the opportunity to be proactive rather than reactive with all of the changes happening now. It signals that we are paying attention, that we care, that you care, and that you are committed to doing more than just the
bare minimum. It may not change policy, but it lays the public foundation for future action. And right now, that matters deeply to the immigrant community. It is also a message to the immigrant community that our town sees them, values them, and is willing to stand with them. It begins the process
of rebuilding trust. And trust cannot be asked for if it the communities are kept in the dark or left out of the decision-making process. I've heard the concerns that a resolution is only symbolic or that it might draw unwanted attention. But symbols are powerful and
silence is not a shield. Across the country, cities are stepping up. 13 municipalities in New Jersey have already passed similar resolutions and none have walked them back. Princeton needs to join them in standing with immigrants. In 2015, a public statement was published that speaks to the
immigrant inclusion after joining Welcoming America. Earlier this year, a statement to reassure the community that all residents will be protected, especially the immigrant community who was targeted by federal immigration enforcements was published. These statements were not easy to find. I had
to purposely search for statements from city council to find these that are not visible to the average consumer on a website. So, your community does not know where you stand because they have to keep searching for them. So, we need your leadership. Now, I also want to
share a brief example. I reached out recently to several mental health services provider to support our community hoping to connect immigrant families with their services. Only one responded out of the five that I reached out to. So with our human services department is one of the top three.
There's a gap here that I not understanding at the moment and I wish that we can continue to build this relationship with each and every single one of the city council members and human services department so that we can together take care of our community along with human services who claims to
be top three. So this is not a time to stay quiet and all of everyone here is a visual representation of the community wanting change and not just an organization. So, everyone with a sticker is not just an organization here. It's the entire Princeton
community. Thank you. [Music] Make sure you can hear me clearly. Thank you. Good evening. I'm Marl Sahib Jami, a post-doctoral research associate at the Center for Iran and Persian Gulf
Studies at Princeton University where I'm working on my book manuscript. I teach courses on rights, gender, social movements, and human rights law. I highlight my position and roles because these are precisely the reasons why I'm here to call for the passing of the
immigrant trust act resolution. Teaching a class of undergrads about human rights law makes it my duty to be here in support of the Princeton community and the ITA resolution. I invite you for a moment to imagine you're a young Iranian woman who has placed second in the
National Law School entrance exams. Imagine you graduate, then aspire to further your education at only the best institution globally and are accepted into Harvard Law School's LLM SJD program. Upon graduation, you choose to
further your research at yet another of the world's best institutions, Princeton University. While working on cutting edge research that advances the field, you receive an attractive job offer from an esteemed law school because they recognize and want your expertise.
You're not sure if you should celebrate or grieve. Celebrate because in this dark academic job market, you've just landed a very sweet gig. Your celebration turns into grief because the shadow of an uncertain immigration status looms heavy over this offer. Will
my request for an H-1B work visa flag me as a target for ICE? Will my husband be deported simply because we hold Iranian passports? This is the story of my dear friend and colleague. Last week, I stood by as her voice and hands trembled when her husband walked to another room to have
biometric data collected. I tried to comfort her, telling her he'd be out in no time. But how did I know? As a child of immigrants, I know well that many policies are intended not only to not protect us, but are designed to exclude us. Therefore, as a member of the
Princeton community, I strongly urge the esteemed council persons here to pass the ITA resolution. This resolution is more than just words on a page. It's a gesture of care and a commitment to protecting your constituents. It'll I'll
take this moment to remind you that the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was also words on a page, but it showed the world that quote, "Another world is possible." The language of the ITA resolution contains values and
principles shared by countries across the world in the aftermath of World War II. Passing this resolution would set a new tone, language, and culture for Princeton, including its law enforcement bodies. It will be a sincere first step
toward working together to build trust in a community where we can all be safe. I am leaving you with a copy of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights for your edification. Thank you. Thank you. [Music]
Good evening. My name is David Shreger. I am vice president of Resistencia Axion, New Jersey. Uh, which is based here in Trenton. I live in Hamilton, but we are based in Princeton. I shop in
Princeton. Uh, and I would like to I speak in support of the ITA, the immigrant trust act, but I would like to say something parenthetically very briefly before I go right into that. There were some hurtful remarks
questioning why immigrants are fearful. With what ICE is doing, acting as Nazi style mass brown shirts, rounding up anyone suspected of being here illegal, it's no wonder. It's racial profiling
and it's unacceptable. We ask that you pass the Immigrant Trust Act, as 13 other municipalities in New Jersey have already done. Now, Mr. Mayor, I believe I heard you say that it has to be done by the state, not by the
municipality. However you are able to do it, whether expressing support for it, showing uh the support of the council, I think that would be very important. The attorney
general's directive of 2018 2019 does not mandate reporting and collaboration with ICE. My experience in dealing with the uh municipality of Princeton is that the
hurtful remarks I referred to earlier do not reflect the municipality of Princeton. Princeton as I have experienced it is an open community and and welcoming community and it's a
diverse community. So please pass the ITA resolution. Immigrants need protection from ICE, which is acting like a rogue agency. Now is the time to defend immigrants and
stand up for humanity. Thank you. Thank you. [Applause] [Music] Hi, my name is Fa Mogul. Um, I have been in and out of Princeton my entire life. And one of the things that always brings me back to this town is its amazing
community. And immigrants are an integral part of this community. We are your neighbors, teachers, doctors, friends, students, professors, cooks, cashiers, and so much more. It's hard to even imagine what this town would be like without our immigrant population. But now we're starting to see those same
immigrants and neighbors targeted, harassed, and even kidnapped by ICE. Our children are watching their parents go to work, terrified that they might not return. Every day we see videos of mothers being pulled away from their children, of fathers being dragged into unmarked vans, and even children in zip
ties. This is not a hypothetical. This is a reality, and we need to be prepared. I know the powerful work that this town has done in the past to protect its immigrant community. So now is the time to continue that work. In the past, we've been an example for surrounding towns on many things,
including how to support its immigrant community. Our neighbors need more protection than ever, and now is the time to step up. Not after ICE shows up here once again to kidnap them. We have seen horrific videos, and we know that New Jersey is not immune to this violence. The first detention center
opened under Trump was Delaney Hall in Newark, New Jersey. They've now built those beds, and they are determined to fill them. Princeton has the chance once again to stand up and be a leader in Mercer County. Passing a resolution in favor of the ITA would be a first step in protecting our community. If we pass
this resolution, we are not only building trust with our immigrant community, but also showing the surrounding towns what they can do to protect their communities. There are only 13 town cities that have passed this bill so far. So, we are asking you to make Princeton the 14th. Thank you. Thank you.
Good evening. My name is Allison and I moved to New Jersey from a very, very white suburb of Detroit, Michigan in June 2019. On my first visit to Princeton, I saw so many people of so many diverse heritages, hearing so many languages that I'd never heard spoken
before. And it didn't fill me with fear. It filled me with wonder and curiosity. The restaurant serving foods that I'd never heard of, next to stores selling modern goods from around the world, all in buildings built over 150 years ago, across from the esteemed Princeton
University that has educated thousands of people who have changed the world only adds to the vibrancy and energy of this town. This town truly has something special, and I firmly believe that something special is its immigrant community. If it wasn't for the immigrant community that lives and works
in this town that we hold dear, Princeton would cease to function as we know it. Immigrants cook our meals. They build and repair our homes. They work custodial jobs in our schools and hospitals. They mow our lawns, take care of the sick and elderly, stock shelves,
watch and teach our children, positively impact society in innumerable ways, and most importantly, love their families just as much as you love yours. I recognize and thank the departments in Princeton that are serving the immigrant communities with kindness, care, and dignity. You are doing vital work and it
has not gone unnoticed, but there is more that can be done. I understand that the immigrant trust act can only be passed at a state level. I also understand that passing a resolution is not binding and as council member Sax stated at the June hearing, it is just
words. But contrary to Miss Sax's statement, words are powerful. so powerful that 233 resolutions have already been adopted by this council in 2025. 384 resolutions were adopted last year. Words spoken or written as they
are in this case in solidarity with 13 other New Jersey municipalities standing up for their communities sends a message to not only the communities in and around Princeton but the rest of the state and the nation. Dismissing this resolution as just words is an insult to
those who have worked and continue to work with the immigrant immigrant community as well as immigrants themselves. We are telling you that we need you to pass this resolution. We are the community affected. We are not asking for money or land or any special privilege. We are asking for our
government and for our elected officials to do what they were elected to do. Promise to keep our community safe. Council members, if you have made and are continuing to make strong statements affirming your belief in immigrant rights as you've claimed, and if your policies in the police and human
services departments are in alignment with what is being requested here, why are you so afraid of making those same statements in a resolution supporting the Immigrant Trust Act? Please listen to what your community is requesting and pass the proposed resolution supporting the Immigrant Trust Act. Thank you.
[Music] [Applause] Good evening. Thank you. Uh last month, uh Bill East Brunswick,
uh last month I wrote emails to each member on this council containing the following statement. And if I am honest, no offense, I suspect that task was left to a staffer and not a single one of you read it. So I'm here to say it in my
words to you. I am a proud lifelong resident of Central Jersey and Princeton itself has been a part a place of importance throughout my life. One of the things I have loved most about Jersey is the way in which its diversity has shaped me and made me a better, more
understanding and open person. Despite the fact that as a state we are looked down on and seen as being rude or mean, as a population, we know that we will always stand by our fellow Jerseyians and others when needed, even if we do so with a
backhanded compliment. We may not necessarily be friendly people, but we are kind people. And throughout the history of this state, we have welcomed people from all over the world to live and work here and become part of our community. The current treatment of our people, immigrant or
not, they are our people. This goes against everything that our state has demonstrated throughout its history and what has made us the uniquely diverse and beautiful place that it is. I could offer many explanations as to why the passage of this resolution offers benefits to
Princeton as a town. I could elaborate on the legal protections it offers or the public image its passage will present. I could point to other cities that have passed it and the benefits they have seen or the organizations and groups that have endorsed its passage. But I suspect that you know all these
things. Furthermore, it has already been said to you. What I will do is ask you this. When the time comes and the history of this moment is written, what side of humanity do you want to be seen on?
Will you choose to stand on the side of those who are oppressed and brutalized? Or will you stand on the side of those that oppose the Civil Rights Act and oppose the women's suffrage movement? Will you choose to stand on the side of those
that champion states rights in the pursuit of a wealthy individual's right to own another human being? Will you stand on the side of those that cheered as Pinkertons shot union members as they fought for labor rights and to end child labor? You have a choice
before you. either stand with and seek to protect the oppressed and brutalized or stand with those to seek to terrorize the families that serve as the bedrock of the foundation of our community.
There is no abstension from such a choice. I ask you to join those of us fighting for a better future. Not just for the oppressed and exploited, but all of us. Please stand with us on the right side
of history and for the people that make this world a place worth living in. Thank you. [Applause] Oh, good evening, uh, town council members. My name is Yoshi. I have been a
resident of Princeton for over two decades. Um, I'm here to express my support for the Immigrant Trust Act resolution because I want my neighbors to live without fear walking down the street and I myself also to live without
fear, not having to constantly look over my shoulders um of being disappeared into a prison by immigration custom and enforcement or ICE uh without anyone knowing my whereabouts or being deported to some
third country. Right now, after passage of the Big Beautiful Bill Act, the budget for ICE has increased 40fold, which means increasing officers and detention centers. I believe town council members,
you all have heard President Trump boast proudly about the horrifying Florida detention center, dubbed quote, alligator Alcatraz, unquote. People are now being arrested without warrants
at even sites previously declared sensitive such as churches, schools, courtrooms, and hospitals, which has sent a shock wave of fear through our communities and drained the life out of civil society. By passing the Immigrant
Trust Act resolution, Princeton will send the signal that it values its immigrant community, families, and protects our overall quality of life, keeping us healthy both bodily and in spirit.
Please be a leader and follow in the footsteps of 13 other districts that have already passed the resolution in support of the Immigrant Trust Act. Thank you. Thank you. [Music]
Hi, my name is Jabari. Uh, and I'm a graduate student here at Princeton. I'll keep this brief because a lot of the other community members have already given very robust reasoning for why we should support this resolution, why it's in line with Princeton's values and the
values that the council members have espoused previously. But I just want to say for a moment a couple of words about the context of the current political moment that we're in. I sympathize with the concerns council members have raised
about additional targeting that passing such a resolution could bring. Um, and I just want to say to that in context of the so-called one big beautiful bill and the affforementioned expansion of ICE,
there will be additional targeting. Unfortunately, that's something that will come regardless of if this resolution is passed. Furthermore, the Immigrant Trust Act was introduced to New Jersey state senate late last September during a previous federal
administration. So, the time for waiting for a better political moment may not come. There may have been a better time to consider passing this resolution, but the time is now. And I want to insist
that you pass this resolution while you can and show this bare minimum measure of goodwill for our community. Thank you. Thank you. [Music] Hello, my name is Tobias and I'm reading uh for my partner who couldn't be here
today. I'm Vanay Deno and I was born and raised and I'm a born and raised product of Princeton. More specifically, I'm a product of the eclectic, colorful, and immigrant-driven community that my naturalized immigrant parents brought me up in. I learned new languages from
neighbors, tasted foods of a myriad of countries, heard prayers from beautiful worldly languages, all within the boundaries of our city, all shared to me with pride and love. To connect with my own Indian roots, I've I've visited local temples and c cultural events, all
open to the public, all rich in experience. I and many other residents in Princeton have been granted the sacrosan privilege to develop holistic worldviews, all because of our immigrant population. To allow ice free reign within our community centers is to tear the very
fabric of this city and its culture. It is to turn a vibrant tapestry into a burlap rag. We've are already seeing the effects of this now. My own neighbors are more hesitant to share and participate in their own or other cultures. And soon cultural centers and events will see less attendance as they
will inevitably be targeted for ICE raids. If left unfettered, the recent bolster to ICE forces will gut our city of its cultural back bone and will strip your constituents of their peace of mind, livelihood, and safety. And so I sincerely urge the leadership of
Princeton to pass the immigration immigrant trust act resolution. My experience is not unique here or in the rest of New Jersey, one of the most diverse states in the country. Statistics show that when cities take a step towards offering protections to immigrant communities, those local
economies thrive, crime and unemployment rates drop, and the overall quality of life and well-being improves, not just for immigrants, but for everybody. As yet another city that benefits off of major immigrant population, Princeton should join the other 13 districts that have already passed a resolution in
support of the Immigrant Trust Act. Thank you for your time. Thank you. Good evening everyone. City council members, my name is Karen Feroza. Um I am a resident here at Princeton. I work in the community. I raise a child in
this community. My my child goes to public school here. Um ready to give birth to a new one who will also be a Princeton resident. My toddler is actually out there waiting for me tonight. Uh but I felt it was really important to come on a school night to
to lend my support to the Immigrant Trust Act. Um I come from a family of immigrants. Um I was born and raised here. Um my my father was undocumented when he first moved here. Um, and you know, he worked really hard, moved away
from a country because of political violence that was often um that that made it really difficult for him to live there. And so he found his way to the United States, was able to become a documented immigrant and raise um his
children in a country where we received amazing education and have been public servants in many ways um working in the education sector. And I just really truly believe that everything that my um my colleagues have said today is
take please take it to heart. Immigrants make the community better. Um they are my neighbors here in Princeton. They are part of my everyday life. Um they are part of this fabric and this community and I really urge you um Princeton has been such a beautiful community to
become a part of. I didn't grow up here. Um, but living here as a resident and contributing to the society here, um, we would not be able to do this without immigrants. Immigrants have, um, made this community better. And I can't imagine a community where immigrants are
not a part of this and don't feel safe and secure being a part of this community, being the ones who are living part and parcel with us. Their kids are going to school with my kids. They're working alongside me and I
really hope that you take it to heart tonight um to support this act to make this a better community and a stronger and safer community for immigrants and therefore all of us. Thank you. Thank you. [Music]
Hello. Um I have a tremor so um don't worry about me. I will get through it fine. My name is Carolyn McGrath. I am a former Princeton resident, but I'm someone who has continued to have strong ties here. I want to read something to
you that I recently came across. Terrible things are happening outside. At any time of night or day, poor, helpless people are being dragged out of their homes. Families are torn apart.
Men, women, and children are separated. Children come home from school to find that their parents have disappeared. That was written by Anne Frank in 1943, but is still also true about what we're
witnessing today. We've all seen the horrific videos of ICE raids AC across the country and even in the state in New Jersey. People abducted by masked, often unidentified
agents, taken to facilities with deplorable conditions, and in some cases deported to places that are not even their country of origin. And that's of course all without due process. As
others have said, because of the big beautiful bill, what we've seen is only a tip of the iceberg. What I know from my years of living here in Princeton, um, as others have said, is that it's a place that welcomes
people from across the world. But what I worry most about is the most vulnerable members of this community. I worry about workers who make who make this town run. Uh, I worry about folks who live in fear
that ice might come and disappear them. I worry about the people who are too afraid to come to a meeting like this tonight. And as a teacher, I worry about the students um that I teach every day and the
families torn apart. So, as the federal government ramps up the inhumane deportation agenda, we need to know that state and local governments like yours are doing everything in their power to protect our friends, our
family, and our neighbors. I urge the council to pass the ITA resolution. I it would go a long way towards showing that you value every member of the community and will stand up for the people who need it most. Thank you.
Thank you. [Applause] Good evening, council. Thank you for the opportunity to speak today. My name is Steve Sepake, and I come before you as a neighbor from Trenton, a state worker at TCJ who's had the pleasure of working with several wonderful people from
Princeton, and as an advocate for our community's future. I'm here to urge the council to take bold, compassionate, and necessary action by enacting the Immigrant Trust Act. This is not just a moral imperative. It is a practical one, especially as we prepare for one of the
most globally unifying events of our time, the FIFA World Cup 2026. First, let's be clear about the stakes. ICE operations are not neutral law enforcement actions. They disrupt families, traumatize children, and erode trust in local institutions. Princeton
is a community built on education, diversity, and dignity. When residents fear that any contact with government, be it police, public health, or education, could lead to detention or deportation, we all suffer. Our schools, hospitals, and social services depend on
trust. That trust is broken when local governments do not draw a clear line between community safety and federal immigration enforcement. We need policies that prohibit city resources, be it data, personal, or facilities, from being used to support ICE actions
that violate our values. Second, this is about who we are and who we want to be on the world stage. The FIFA World Cup 2026 will bring unprecedented attention, movement, and diversity to this region. While I know we're not a host city, we're a part of the cultural and economic ecosystem that surrounds it.
New Jersey, New York, and Philadelphia will be welcoming people from every corner of the globe, athletes, fans, families, and workers, many of whom are immigrants or children of immigrants themselves. From June 11th, 2026 through July 19th, 2026, there will be eight
matches played at the New York New Jersey Stadium, including the last and most important match, the finals. How can we in good conscious invite the world to ours doorstep while simultaneously allowing fear to flourish within our own communities? Hospitality cannot be conditional. We cannot
celebrate the global spirit of football while turning a blind eye to ICE activity that targets the very people who make our international identity possible. Restaurant workers, drivers, construction crews, caregivers, and service staff, many of whom are undocumented. ICE does not discriminate
and they will target and harass our international visitors as well. Immigrant protection is not a liability. It's an investment in safety, cohesion, and reputation. Several cities have already enacted and done the same act.
The data is clear. When immigrants feel safe, they report crimes, participate in civic life, and contribute openly to the economy. Our local law enforcement is more effective effective when it is not entangled in federal immigration efforts. And let's not forget the World Cup is not just a sporting event. It is
a power platform and people are going to remember that we're a town of justice and global citizenship. Not just in words, but in law. Thank you. Thank you. Hi, I'm Hilda. I live here. I have lived here. Um, please pass a resolution in
support of the Immigrant Trust Act and also follow Trenton's lead to pass a school a school safe zone policy and go one step further and with it dedicate resources to training teachers and staff how to respond to ICE. A coalition of 13
towns may not move the needle to pass the ITA tomorrow and is no replacement for testing what protections can be provided through municipal power. But a coalition of 500 towns certainly would or 100.
That goal is within reach. That's a goal that you can be part of and would absolutely put pressure on state legislators and on our next governor. Thanks. Thank you. [Music] Good evening town council members. My
name is Anna Kvika. I am a Princeton resident and also a book seller at Labyrinth Books. As a worker, I believe in the power of words. Uh and so I urge you in the strongest possible terms to please pass this resolution in support of the immigrant trust act. As the poet
Sheamus Heene once said, the the ones we love are enemies of the state. And because I believe in the power of words, I'd like to share a statement on behalf of another member of our community. Hello, I am a student at Princeton who immigrated to the United States when I
was a kid due to the growing gang violence in my home country. Since then, I have sought asylum and been in this country with work authorization. I am here to share my story and express my support for the immigrant trust resolution, a step long overdue to take to protect our immigrant community.
Despite everything I have done to excel in this country through school, volunteering, and general goodwill citizenship, I am afraid. I am afraid that everything I have worked for will be for nothing. That one day I will be stripped of my rights and be sent to a land I don't know well enough to call my
own. I, like many of my peers, know that we are being caught in the moment of political hatred against immigrants in many of our communities. My work, my career, my future, and my well-being are in jeopardy nowadays. I am here to ask my community to have my back and to support me in the same way that many of
us have devoted our lives to serving it. I am here to ask for your support in these tough times that require every single one of us to unequivocally persevere through the fear-mongering and acts of hatred throughout our country. This is Princeton's chance to let us immigrants know that we are heard and we
are valued as every other member of the community. The passage of the immigrant trust act resolution is a necessary first step that we can continue to contributing to our community in the many different ways that we know how. It is necessary to allow us to function and
live our day-to-day lives without fear of ICE knocking on our doors without notice. It is necessary to assert our rights as human beings in times when we are being painted as unworthy of respect and dignity. The streets of this town have heard the cries and passion of the people over the past few months and it
is time for the passage of the immigrant trust act resolution to reflect that. Princeton, let us join the other 13 districts that have already demonstrated their support for their communities because time is running out. Thank you. [Music] Hi. Uh my name is Hannah and I'm a
graduate student at the university at Princeton University. Uh and I've lived in Princeton for the past four years. Um I like many people have expressed uh today have been horrified to watch our friends, neighbors, and family be
abducted and detained every week. Um, I'm here to implore you to take the first step in protecting our family members and our community from unjust attacks by immigration and customs enforcement and to do this by sending a message to our state legislators to codify protections for immigrants in New Jersey and by doing so send a message to
your constituents that you are on our side. The path towards living in a safe and just world is a constant unrelenting march. So, I implore you to take another step towards cultivating an environment in this town where our loved ones might go about their daily lives with a little bit less of the constant overwhelming
fear of suddenly and violently losing everything. I want to live in a state in a town whose local funds go towards living to sorry go towards supporting our community rather than aiding a mass deportation project. I will continue to ask my state representatives to do to
pass the immigration trust act, but I will also ask you, please join the 13 other city councils that have already passed this resolution. The only way we can protect each other is through our strength and numbers, and we can and must do so and do so swiftly. Thank you. Thank you.
[Music] Hello. Good evening. Um, thank you so much for the opportunity uh to speak in uh tonight. My name is Kalandria Ortiz Resende. I graduate. I'm not an student.
That was meant to be a joke. Anyhow, um the closest on university I want to be is this close anyway. Um I am a policy analyst. Uh so so far the federal government has failed us the immigrants
and not just the Latinos all immigrants, Asians too. Uh South Asians too, right? The federal government has failed us, right? So recently we heard from the state uh our legislature that they
cannot pass the immigrant trust at because some sort of friction with the federal government and the current uh federal um state attorney. Anyhow, the beautiful amazing great
father of the independence of the United States make uh constitute under the constitution this amazing country uh and it separate states in in government. This is your government. So
you can make resolution and they will be enforced by you and your police the police of them. Okay. So you can thank you so much for telling us that you already are in conversation and looking to other um um local government who have
in um already institute such um law but bring the community to the table so we can work with you. Okay? This is the community right and and bring me I I can help you out with all the languages. I
am a lost. So yeah. Anyhow, uh don't leave us alone. Look, I res I am not a resident of of of um Princeton. I'm going to take this last minute to say I reside in Robinsville. Robinsville uh is the most
amazing town, but this is the second in my opinion. But we don't have this. You know why? Because unfortunately we are not diverse. And you know that Robbinsville next door, rich town, no diverse. You guys are the richest town
ever, super diverse. And you have, you must protect under your law, the law that you have in front of you that your the institution, the state con, the federal constitution, the state
constitution and the municipality um uh um counterpart to the constitution have. So, let's use that. Let's protect your town and let's make beautiful the diversity of Princeton for everyone. Thank you. Good.
Thank you. Hello, my name is Remi and I am in support of the immigrant trust act resolution as I am a refugee from who was supported by the refugee resettlement community and
passed off to the church. It's one of the biggest projects of the Nassau Presbyterian Church. And my family obtained legal status when we arrived in 2007 and were entitled benefits of
working legally and access to certain forms of assistance. Now, in 2025, my family and I have excelled and thrived. However, due to the current president's
time in office, many of his actions have confused us to believe refugees are illegal and placed travel bans on uh certain countries such such as Myanmar, the country I'm from, and the Muslim
band. My story is an example of how Princeton is possible of continuing welcoming refugees who can integrate into the community with support, learning
English, paying taxes, and getting good education. one uh um our federal government currently um its hostility to refugees has made it
an obstacle for locals to afford h housing. So please let us help you help us the immigrant trust act resolution and please share our sound. Thank you. Thank you.
[Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] Hello. Um, my name is Lena Elmuy and I'm a rep resident of Princeton. Um, and while I won't say it as eloquently of
those who have come before. So, I just want to come here to speak my support of urging you all to pass a a resolution in support of the immigrant trust act. Um, and because I do believe in my heart that no step is too small. Um, so this
is simple. It lets us know where you stand. Um, and it tells us that immigrants lives matter, their quality of life matters, and their peace does as well. And it'll pave the way forward. So, thank you.
Thank you. [Music] Hello, my name is Lucia and I'm an undergraduate at Princeton University and I'm here to express my support for the immigrant trust act resolution as a
first small step towards making Princeton a welcoming uh community for everyone. I am going to read a statement from another undergraduate from Princeton University who was unable to attend today. Hello everyone. I am an undergraduate
student at Princeton University. I still remember how nervous I was when I first came to this beautiful town. I was the it was the first time that I had been away from home and I was scared I would not find a community. Fortunately, I have been able to develop a wonderful
community, one that feels like family. I have made many new friends on campus and felt the warm embrace of the town. However, many of the people who have made this town a home are now in a state of constant fear. Friends are terrified at the possibility of immigration
customs enforcement randomly showing up and taking them away. I am I am petrified by the thought that I could be forced to say goodbye to a friend. How can we as students be expected to concentrate and give our all to developing new groundbreaking work when the lack of immigrant protections has
cast a perpetual dark cloud? How can I feel at home in this town when the people who welcome me with open arms no longer feel safe? Sunday Spanish mass at St. Paul's has not felt the same. Postmass conversations have shifted from
light jokes to talks about how parents need to figure out what plan what the plan will be for their kids if they are taken. Witnessing this shift has truly been heartbreaking as mass and postmass conversations have been one of the most grounding things I have found at Princeton.
There is a beautiful community here that opened its arms to me and I cannot leave them stranded now that they need my help. One of the ways we can help is by showing them that we c we do have their back. The immigrant trust act resolution may not be a law, but it is powerful in
its ability to bring us a step closer to gaining the trust of our immigrant community. Thank you. [Music] Hi everyone. Thank you so much for being here and for your time. U my name is Iel Ley and I live here in Princeton. I've
been here for the past 2 years and my partner comes from a legacy of women that go three generations back um opening up some original stores here in the city um and also uh working at Princeton University for the past three
years uh 30 years. So they have a lot of stake in this community and talk about the love of this community. And um to go back even further when this meeting was opened there was a land reverence that that was said um in notating the the
people the land the Lenny Lape the only people who actually this land has belonged to the rest of us all of you all of us assuming unless anyone here is native we're all immigrants. So this is for all of us. If we don't do this for
us and our families, we're doing it for no one. So that's why we have to stand by our community, especially in these times when all of our rights are being stripped away. So in that spirit, I'm going to talk um and read the words of
someone who didn't feel like they could have a voice and we're too scared to show up. So I will read her words. So this is a a testimony from a local day laborer. Well, I feel that well, I've entered this country now for the second
time. The second time imagining that I'll be sent back. Entering this country is not easy. I returned to Guatemala in fear that I had returned to the United States for the second time only to be sent home, only be to be convicted. I
want to watch my children grow up. And with the situation of this government right now, I have a lot of fear. Imagine to come here people selling your lands and everything that you have for a better life and then they are deported back and you've lost your lands and
you've lost everything for a better life. I remember one time my brother told me ICE is near the library, our library here in Princeton. Be careful. My brother is also afraid that they will take us. When ICE takes you, they give you a few pieces of paper and say that
you are not allowed to enter again. You're not allowed to enter the US again. And if you enter, you might get 12 or 15 years in prison for being a hardworking, honest person. The fear that when one sees a car, it might be ICE and they that I can't leave my house
and my friends and neighbors can't leave their house to go to work. We only leave our houses when we have to. Imagine they can take people who are just walking down the street, not even doing anything. When I go to work, it's 7:00 a.m. I don't leave till 6 p.m. And I arrive home. I stay home cuz I have to.
Thank you. Thank you. [Applause] Hi, my name is Michelle First and I live on Spruce Street and I'm a resident of Princeton. Um, first thing I want to do
is I would like everyone to take a deep breath and take a look around the room at all the vulnerability, the strength and the power that we've brought together here. And we bring this to you here because we want to work together. We want your support. And when you look
around this room, you see all these people that are here that want to support you. And why these may simply be words, the immigrant trust resolution, you know that now we have a common language that we're all going to speak
together. We have a chance for all of us to say, "Oh, you know what? In my community, we do this. I am shaking from fear of speaking. I am not shaking from fear of being taken. And just take a moment to know that.
So please look at your community. Look at the ages that are here. Look at the diverse group of people that are here. I mean, it's kind of really heartening
that we actually can speak our minds right now still. And I want that to keep going. And I want to be in power with you. And this community wants to be in power with
you. So know that you're not alone as you pass this resolution because I know each of you have the courage and the vulnerability to do it. You are with all of us and you will share our common
language and we will share the safety net that we weave together as a community. So when I see my friends that are afraid to go outside of their house, I can say, well, you know what? The town believes in us and we're doing our best
and we're going to keep on doing our best and we're going to keep on coming together. So please with open hearts and minds and courage and full support of your community, take
these words in and ride the courage that's in this room tonight. Thank you. Thank you. [Applause] Wow. Good evening. My name is Kayla. I'm
a resident of Franklin Park, but I work here in Princeton with Resencia and our community programs. Through this work, I've built relationships with many day laborers and immigrant families who not only are a part of this town's fabric, but have become my friends and neighbors.
I'm here as an ally in strong support of the Immigrant Trust Act resolution. Many of the people I work with came here for an opportunity, but instead many live in fear. Some are even afraid to join our classes that are created specifically for them because something as simple as
filling out a registration form, walking to our meeting spaces, or even driving feels risky in fear that it could lead to detention or deportation. That fear takes away opportunities that should be accessible to them. My friends are people who give so much
to this community and who have deeply impacted my life. Even if they decide to never put their hand to the plow ever again in this community, they still belong. They are people first and they deserve to feel safe, supported, not surveiled or targeted. I speak up and
show up today for my students, for my friends, and for my family. And for every worker and immigrant who has been made invisible and made to feel they only matter for their labor. My ancestors, your ancestors, and their ancestors. At some point, we were all
foreigners to this land. And no human being is illegal. So, I'll leave you with this reminder from the same Bible our president swears on, but seldom puts into practice. When a foreigner resides among you in your land, do not mistreat them. The foreigner residing among you
must be treated as your own. Love them as yourself for you were once foreigners in this land. Thank you. Thank you. [Music] Good evening. My name is Faraz. I live
in Lawrence Township. However, so much of my work is done here in Princeton. I used to be a consumer buying records and books for fun in Princeton. But now here I am as a student, as an organizer, and I was just recently arrested for calling for divestment and justice for
Palestine. Here's where I consistently gather with my comrades, my community, to share our thoughts and feelings because we believe that when we organize, we win. So you will be seeing us again and again. Let's be clear, the Immigrant Trust Act resolution is a civil society bill. Food pantries,
churches, schools, courtrooms, and hospitals are no longer exempt from ICE activity according to executive orders. Can you imagine being ill, trying to feed yourself or showing up to your appointment like a good immigrant is supposed to do, and not having any form of protection from ICE snatching you up
with or without a warrant, no due process, completely disappeared into a concentration camp. We've all seen the videos. We all know someone personally affected. Now is the time to show us that you stand with us. We need more than just your words. We need policy and
consequences for breaking them. We need accountability and transparency. We need better protections and more accessibility. We need the Immigrant Trust Act resolution effective immediately. I don't know how many times my heart can keep breaking. Seeing families torn
apart. Your refusal to take any responsibility is creating distrust in us. Your lack of effort is revealing your unwillingness to listen to us. But we will not stop. We will be back. And we are in this fight together. Immigrants or not immigrants, we will not stop fighting for the immigrant
trust act resolution. Hi, my name my name is Fernanda. I live in Trenton. This city already passed this law and I'm an immigrant. I'm here to express my support for the immigrant trust acts resolution. As a student who
came from immigrant parents who work and pay taxes, I feel like our parents shouldn't feel fear and shouldn't be worried about our sa safety because everyone should feel safe no matter
what. As a child, I shouldn't be worried either. But I'm here wondering and asking you why is Princeton making excuses when 13 states already or 13 cities already had
passed the resolution. I should not it should not have to take a child pled into your humanity to do the right thing. Thanks. Thank you. Hi, my name is Nora Daruish. I am a resident of South Brunswick, but I was
born in Princeton and I am very involved with the community here. As a child of two immigrants, I'm here today to express my support for the im immigrant trust act resolution. I am involved with social justice groups who work in central Jersey, particularly in the Princeton area. And in the couple in the
past couple months, I have seen how unsafe the Princeton community has become for many of the immigrants who live here. Everyone, regardless of their citizenship status, should be able to step outside of their homes without living in a constant state of fear. No one should ever hesitate to seek care
from a hospital or contact a food pantry due to the fear of being detained or deported. Immigrants are a vital part of our community and they deserve to be treated and protected as such. is it is essential that the immigrant trust act resolution be passed as a first step in
protecting immigr immigrant rights. Thank you. Thank you. [Applause] [Music] Good evening. My name is Dan Schneer. Um resident here in Princeton. Uh I'm here
to support the Immigration Trust Act. I would like to speak on its impacts in healthcare. I'm a trauma surgeon, critical care physician, and wound care physician. I believe that health care, especially life-saving healthcare, is a human right, and I took an oath to that effect.
I have seen firsthand the involvement of police forces in healthcare. From officers that demonstrate mutual respect of both healthcare providers and patients, all the way to officers trying to perform an air interrogation while the patient was actively dying in front of us. That is true. If ICE is allowed
to approach hospitals for information or rest on site, I consider this a grave human violation and a hindrance of something so important and sacred to every health care provider, our duty to our patients.
These raids at healthc care facilities are starting. They're happening in other parts of the country. Our immigrant community will avoid life-saving health care if they are not protected. They will have loved ones
that die. We as healthc care providers fought so hard to to keep loved ones alive. We risked our lives on a daily basis during CO to uphold human dignity.
The people in this room are a part of that same fight. Sorry. We must continue. We must continue this the this fight for every human. No exceptions. I ask that you as a local government do anything you can
to support this community. Thank you. [Applause] [Music] All right, thank you for your time. Uh, my name is Joe Marcha. I co-chair the uh, Greater Trenton branch of America's
largest leftwing political organization, the Democratic Socialist of America, and uh, we represent, uh, all the DSA members in Mercer County, and that includes Princeton. We have a number of members in Princeton. I'm speaking today in solidarity with our community ally, Resident Estion, and with immigrant communities here in Princeton and
beyond. Uh right now the fascist Trump administration and their ICE thugs are trying to kidnap, deport um anybody that they consider unamerican and anybody they can who opposes them. Immigrants have been their primary targets. But those of us who study history know that
it's not going to necessarily stop there. Despite this, rays of hope shine through in the actions of courageous courageous individuals and organizations who are opposing our country's modern day Gestapo. I'm speaking primarily to you today, right? So, uh, your group of elected officials. Um, so I'd like to
highlight, uh, some potential role models you can look to who have stood up to ICE in various ways. Uh, and as a a way to competently and confidently push back against ICE, on uh, June 17th, New York City comproller and mayoral
candidate at the time, Brad Lander, accompanied an immigrant named Edgardo from their immigration proceedings. Uh, the case against him had been dismissed. This meant he no longer had any legal immigration status. Um, after engineering this excuse, ICE attempted to kidnap Edgardo. Lander linked arms
with Edgardo as he walked out of the courtroom. He w asked to see a judicial warrant from ICE and they refused. And when he continued to insist that ICE follow the law, ICE arrested him for obstruction and kidnapped Edgardo. Lander was released a few hours later and not charged. Edgardo, however,
remains in ICE detention. Uh, his whereabouts unknown. Other role models include some New Jersey electeds, uh, New York Mayor Ross Baraka, uh, Lam Monica McGyver, Congresswoman, uh, and our own congressperson uh, Bonnie Watson Coleman, all three of whom attempted to inspect an illegally reestablished uh,
concentration camp at the Laney Hall. Um, Baraka was arrested for this and released not long afterwards. So, we've got some examples of electeds showing courage and actually taking some kind of direct action in some form to try to obstruct um, these ICE regime. Finally, I want to highlight um longtime DSA
elected Zoram Nam Dani after he won the Democratic primary for the mayor of New York. Uh Trump threatened him with abduction by ICE, and he responded with a statement um that highlighted that it's simply based on him refusing to let ICE terrorize that city. Uh and he made
it clear that at the end of the statement, he he noted, uh we will not accept this intimidation. These elected officials have shown real courage. Zoran uh showed an understanding that when you're entrusted with the responsibility of elected office, you have to stand up for those who can who can't speak for themselves. Hiding will not make you
safe. If the fascists aren't coming for you first, that just means you're further down the hit list. And if you don't show up for the people who are here now, um they won't be here when they show up for you. Um this is why it's critical that you do what you can. We're not asking you to risk arrest. We're asking you to pass a resolution that is well within the law. it's well
defined and that would that everyone here all of the your community and your constituents are asking you so that it will help them feel safe and be safe. Thank you. [Music]
Good evening. Um I want to start off by saying thank you. I know this is a lot and I really appreciate especially those of you who have continued to keep eye contact as well as you know hearts as well as eyes open and and looking at your community who clearly cares so much about what is going on here tonight. Uh
my name is Rachel Schner. I'm a Princeton grad student. I study US history. Um and I'm also a member of the Democratic Socialists of America as well for the the Mercer County. I've got a statement here today that I did not write, but it was written by a student who uh is an international student and
feared reprisal for coming uh tonight. So, I'm going to read that instead. I am a student at Princeton University and I'm here to express my support for the Immigrant Trust Act resolution. As an international Latino student, I have seen not only how our community is targeted by racist policies and rhetoric
in this country and in this state, but also how international students are prosecuted and criminalized for having political opinions unaligned with current authorities. It is extremely worrying for me to know that neither Princeton University nor Princeton's local authorities have publicly
expressed support for the Immigrant Trust Act or have not fully committed to limiting collaboration with ICE due to the carveouts in the general order. This can raise the possibility of increasingly more illegitimate and violent or even painfully illegal operations against our communities regardless of their documentation
status. Not addressing these issues publicly leads nowhere. When I see a video of a raid in a factory in North Jersey or I see how authorities collaborate with ICE and their spy-like networks and tactics, I fear not only for them, for their families, but also
for the people I know and see every day in our Princeton community because I don't know what is actually preventing that from happening here. With such an ambiguous and insecure environment that we have here, I don't feel free to
exercise my free speech and have to limit, although with much pain, my participation in activities and organizations that connect me to my community. Not demonstrating to your residents that you will stand up for them does not make it more safe. It just
keeps us in constant anxiety that prevents this town from actually working and thriving as a community. I hope you will understand these concerns and grasp how important it can be for building trust to sign the Immigrant Trust Act resolution. Your community is counting on you and we want to know that we can
trust you. Thank you. Hello. Hi, mayor. Hi, city council people. Um, my name is Mitch. I've been a Princeton resident since 2017 and I'm on the faculty at the school of architecture at Princeton University. Um, and I I think I'm part of a
university cluster here. Um, we we're all here in a monsoon, you know, in the middle of a flash flood. Um, and uh I think the the there's something that I want to respond to um earlier. I think you mentioned that there's a process of
seeing what other municipalities have done and and sort of assessing based on that and I would like to read a statement from a Princeton University student that I think is asking for more leadership than that is asking for you to be more creative than that in solving
the problem and asking you to have urgency and take leadership now. Um so I'm I'm going to read a statement from a student who couldn't be here today. As a Princeton student born into a family of immigrants, I've seen firsthand the fear caused by unchecked immigration
enforcement. Back home, my family lived through ICE raids. We've seen helicopters overhead, unmarked vehicles rolling through our streets, and families living in constant fear. That fear never fully goes away. Now being here in Princeton, as someone who spends most of the year on campus and only
visits home during breaks, I see that same fear in my friends who are immigrants or international students. They worry about going to class, walking through town, or being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Princeton is supposed to be a place of growth and community. But how can anyone thrive
while constantly looking over their shoulder? That's why local protections matter. The Immigrant Trust Act provides transparency, accountability, and a public commitment to values Princeton claims to uphold. We know the ITA won't pass at the state level, and that's not
what we're asking. We're asking Princeton to take the ITA's goals and language and use them to craft local protections. A resolution can be modeled after the ITA, showing support for our immigrant community and laying the
groundwork for stronger local laws. The 2018 Attorney General directive clearly allows towns to go further in limiting cooperation with federal immigration enforce enforcement. When towns, states, and institutions speak out together, we
show collective power. Princeton has the chance to lead with action and that starts with this resolution. Thank you. [Applause] All right. Hey there, everyone. council. This is um my second TL meeting of any
sort. My first ever non-essay speech, whatever you'd like to call it. Um normally I'm behind the camera. Um honestly, I thought it was a good speech, but frankly, a lot of it's been covered. So, I'll do us all a favor and cut it a little bit in half. Um
I came here yeah to talk about the resolution but mainly I wanted everyone to go away take away that um it is more than just talk um in a lot of senses and I think that's been covered pretty well but I want to add that I do truly believe that I
believe in real action too and that both have their place and I I wouldn't just support the resolution. I'm out here trying to do my part. Um, and I want to add that the resolution, the talk of the resolution is what led
me here and not just led me here, led me to know the initiatives that the people of this city, including you folks, um, are proud about and talked about and have implemented. Um, it brings it brings people here. It informs us. It makes us politically active. I did not know about the ITA or resolution for the
ITA. I did not know to reach out to my state representatives or to think about coming to this town meeting or I'm from Hamilton. Think about this for my town meeting. where talks like this frankly are less held but we can follow the examples of Trenton and I'm hoping Princeton and bring that to other places
like Robinsville was mentioned Hamilton my home right now and um more and then the other thing that I wanted to um leave behind sorry guys first time the other thing that I wanted to leave behind is that everyone's talking about fear and um it
was said at the last council meeting that we are lucky to be in a country where we can come here and we can do this we can talk, we can give our names. Um, and in other countries that cannot happen. And um, I'm normally a glass half full kind of person, but I'm here
to tell you guys that that is not true. Um, the fact is that people speak up for different issues right now and they have been taken to jail. They have been deported. They have gone to Canada as refugees. We are terrified. I am terrified.
And I'm here despite that for the people who can't be or won't be because we know people who are no longer here who were taken. So we're scared. If you're not scared, you know, maybe it'll come later. Maybe maybe we're just lucky enough to not be in the middle of it. Maybe we're too busy, which happens to a
lot of people of all colors and places. My parents are an example of that. I'm here without my family every time I go out. But we're scared. And um I come to something like this thinking it's mostly safe but also imagine that I'll be taken the second I walk out those doors cuz
who knows maybe I caught a whiff, right? So I just wanted that to be taken extra seriously. I want you guys to know that um this is not that country. For a lot of people it has never been that country and for a lot of people that it was cuz I'm an American citizen. It's not anymore. Or maybe I woke up and just
realized it never was. But yeah, my name is Alexandro Serio Riveroto. I put it out there because um I'm afraid but I want it out there. Thank you very much. Thank you. [Applause] [Music] Hello. Good evening. My name is Irene
Small. I'm a Princeton resident. I grew up in New Jersey. I'm a faculty member at the university. And uh one of the things that I teach is about the Latin American dictatorships of the 60s and 70s. And when I get through to what
constituted those dictatorships, what happened, we talk about habius corpus, the suspension of habius corpus, we talk about kidnappings and disappearings and those things are happening now. So I want to echo what my colleague just said about the fact that words actually do
really matter because they're also about how we teach history. It's how we teach what is right and wrong and how we try and prevent what happened before from happening again. I actually want to read here um a a statement from another from
a student who is uh writing to show their support for the immigrant trust act resolution. As a proud student of Princeton's campus and as a first generation student, Princeton has and will always be a community full of immigrants and children of immigrants.
We are proud members of the Princeton community. And with the rise of invasions and targeted attacks from immigration and customs against my friends, local community members, and more personally, relatives, I demand to know what my representatives advocate for their own constituents. We are more
than people with names. We are our own leaders and workers that contribute to Princeton being the place that it is this day. And in time, we need our representatives to do their job. And this is more than the opportunity to prove their capabilities. By passing this resolution, we are able to be a
strong front for the most vulnerable people now within the United States. The world is watching us and you, as a leader for Princeton, have to ask yourselves, are you on the right side of history? Thank you for listening, and I strongly urge you to support this resolution. Thank you.
Thank you. Hi, good evening. My name is Adam McGovern. I don't live in Princeton uh but I'm with Wind of the Spirit Immigrant Resource Center which is operational throughout the state and to the point um is uh the first group to have obtained one of these resolutions from Madison and then from Planefield
and then from Morristown and it's gone on uh you know to 13 municipalities and you know a lot is said about uh what you can and can't do. Um, I think that there's a lot you can do because just by having this dialogue, uh, bringing up
these resolutions, you considering them and these brave and smart people behind me bringing to you, uh, you're providing the kind of forum that the state democratic leadership in the legislature has failed us in providing, you know, we have this kind of discussion and it's happened in 13 towns and it's provided,
you know, the argumentation uh, and the moral uh, imperative uh, and the uh, uh essential uh opportunity for people uh who are actual voters and actual residents to express themselves uh that we need. Um you know, last time you did
talk about things that you know, you've done for the immigrant community and for diversity that you're proud of. Now, surely to be proud of it, you want these things to be known about. Uh you don't want them to be done out of notice or in the shadows. And I think your constituency needs to know that, too.
I'm glad that maybe there's getting there's becoming a better opportunity for you uh to express it to them uh in ways that maybe uh you know you were failing at before. Um it's great and it's healthy to have more dialogue about these kinds of things. Um but no matter
what has been accomplished in Princeton, uh the fact is that the assaults are daily. Every day I wake up wondering, you know, which of my friends, which of the people I work with who teach me how to be the kind of American I should be and the kind of person that I should be
is not going to be here. So every day you have to ask, what did I do today? Not what have I done and what am I going to do tomorrow? How am I going to face this tomorrow? How am I going to step up? Um, you know, no one ever ducked their way into making the world a better place or even into, you know, making one
person's day better. that's something that you stand up to and step up to. Um the um you know and the point is the immigrant trust act is you know the bare minimum as opposed in addition to being you know the uh the most fundamental
protection that immigrants in the state can have it's the bare minimum of what you can do and the very point is if a town like Princeton can't or won't make a statement like this what kind of message does that send? Thank you. Thank you. Good evening and uh thank you for your
time. My name is Brendan and I'm a resident of new of Princeton, New Jersey. Uh one of my favorite things about living here is that I can just walk out my door and pass by a house where Thomas Man or Albert Einstein lived. And the only reason why that's
possible is because Princeton was a refuge from fascism and opened its Armst community. And it can be now. And in that spirit, I'm going to be reading a statement from a recent graduate of Princeton University. Uh Nelly Rivas. Um
my name is Nelly Rivas. I am a recent graduate of Princeton University where I studied politics for four years. And quite frankly, I am shocked that a town like Princeton, known for its intellect and progressivism, is not among the first 13 other cities to pass a
resolution in support of the immigrant trust act. According to data, US Princeton has a higher foreignb born population than Trenton or even Mercer County. And yet Princeton lags behind both in adopting this resolution. I'm an
immigrant and just a few years ago I was undocumented. That fear of deportation, of being torn from everything, you know, never really leaves. Princeton is already behind as a big beautiful bill passed. And now with the increase in ICE activity and the erosion of the rule of
law, even I face the risk of being detained. I know students at the university, brilliant, compassionate students who are just trying to survive the demands of a rigorous institution while carrying the constant weight of fear and uncertainty. Many don't feel protected by their city. Some feel
invisible to the very institutions that are supposed to stand with them. And silence from city leaders only deepens that fear. Whatever brought you into public service, I hope part of it had compassion towards people regardless of their background. I hope that those land
acknowledgements we do are not just empty acknowledgements as we are all immigrants on stolen land. I hope that pledge of allegiance truly embodies your commitment to justice for all. I urge you to please pass the immigrant trust
act resolution. Show the community your commitment to them. Thank you. [Music] Uh, good evening. Um, so as a student at Princeton, I'm speaking today to support the Immigration Trust Act resolution
because Princeton brings together a diverse body of students and some of my closest friends are immigrants and international students on a visa. And many of these students uh see Princeton as a second home, spending most of their
year on campus and seeing everything that's been going across the country. I know many of my friends, many of the workers around here I interact with on campus and around town. And even me, I'm scared to see the increase of ICE um
presence on campus. Um well, one second. This is my first time at a town meeting. Um [Applause]
And living in a town with a large immigrant population, I've seen this fear become greater and greater with the lack of legislation and physical support for immigrants. And with the school's year starting soon uh soon, this resolution should take great priority to
ensure that we take the first steps for the safety of all students returning to campus and for the current residents of Princeton who live and work here every day. I hope my friends can return to continue their studies and follow their passions while feeling safe in Princeton
and return to continue their no um sorry um while feeling safe in Princeton and that their representatives are going to stand with them in these difficult times. Actions speak louder than words. So, by passing this resolution, it would
show that Princeton cares about their students and residents and put in the effort to make the city a safe place in these hard times. Thank you. Thank you. [Music]
Hi, my name is Tiffany. I'm a former resident of Princeton for a number of years. Um, I'm now a couple towns over. I am the manager for a corporate restaurant and I've never done this before. I'm a little nervous. Uh the fear that people
are having to live in right now is inhumane and unconscionable in this country, in this state, in this township. It is a denial of basic human rights and basic human dignity. When I have to sneak my staff out the back door cuz there's 30 ICE agents in the parking lot
of my shopping center. It is not okay. It is not okay. And we're asking, this is Princeton. This is a town steeped in history, innovation, education, and invention. History of
revolution, for freedom, for independence, for justice and liberty for all, all all. If we cannot find unity in the beautiful town of historical Princeton, what does that say for New Jersey? My
god, our country is What are we going to do? Stand up. It is easier. It is easier to put our heads down. It is easier to say, "It doesn't affect me. It's not me. It's them. It's Yeah,
if I cover my eyes long enough, it will go away." It is easier to jump on the apathy train. It is definitely easier. And I assume that most people going into local government do it because you want to do something good for your community. You want to make it better. You want to
do something good. You want to empower the residents and your community and do something good. Stand up with us. Stand up with your residents, their people. Status no longer matters. It only matters that you fit the part for them to take you. And
that's all I got. Thank you for hearing me. Can I can I interrupt? Can I interrupt for just one second? I'm sorry. Can I just interrupt for one second? There's some announcements. Um and I'm just really concerned because I see people leaving and I know some of
you traveled from other places in the torrential downpour. There's a there's a a shelter in place and do not travel order for all of Somerset County. and you know, so if you're traveling that way or wherever you're traveling to as you leave, please be very cautious.
That's all. Thank you. Thank you so much. Um, good evening. Um, my name is Angelene. I'm actually a resident of Princeton, New Jersey. Uh, I moved here five years ago. I'm here for the first time because I'm shocked. Um,
I was excited to move to Princeton. Thought it was a forwardthinking progressive town. So, I am shocked that Princeton hasn't signed this resolution to support immigrants. My parents were actually immigrants from Haiti, right?
So, you all should know by now what's going on in Haiti. I am shocked that the current administration is even thinking of sending folks back to Haiti. I recently spoke to a father who told me
that in a month he's returning to Haiti. And I said, "Why are you returning to Haiti?" He said he was in the US once and he was deported. He spoke how the US treated him like a criminal and an animal.
And he did not want to go through that again. I begged him. I say, "Please stay in this country." Um, I said the federal court just reversed that Trump cannot right now uh deport Haitians.
But uh immigrants in the US are living in fear. They're afraid of going to work. They're afraid of going to school. They're afraid of leaving their homes. They're just living in fear. I was recently reading in the New York Times about the state of Virginia, how the
state of Virginia currently is deporting and detaining the most immigrants. And I'm afraid New Jersey will be like Virginia if we get the Republican govern a Republican governor. Okay. So, I think
it is important for Princeton to stay true to its creed. you know, we need to set an example for New Jersey and the rest of the world. Um, the last thing I wanted to say is that, you know, we're not in Alabama, we're not in Texas,
we're not in Florida. We should do better than this. Okay. So, I think it is very important. Um, the last thing that I wanted to say about the immigrant trust act is some of the purposes of the
act. It requires public schools, healthc care facilities, libraries, and shelters to adopt model policy to help people feel safer seeking public services for which they are eligible. It prohibits state and local law enforcement from
cooperating with the federal government. As of right now, in the state of Virginia, the governor is directing all the local governments, all the agencies to cooperate. So immigrants are not safe right now in the state of Virginia and
we know if this man becomes our next governor what he will do. Okay. So I think it is important that we sign this act right now so little towns
next to us will do the same. Thank you. [Applause] Good evening community. Great work showing up tonight to address this
council meeting. Good evening, Mr. Mayor. Good evening, council members. My name is Gustavo de la Cruz. I am a member of the Democratic Socialists of America and I stand here with the great people of Resistencia and
Aion who they do wonderful work keeping our community safe in Princeton, New Jersey and surrounding towns. I am a local resident on the land that is Lape Hawking,
a land that was stolen. Mr. The mayor, you started tonight's meeting with land acknowledgement words. I can ask you and the council members, what are you doing for land back? Words are nothing without actions to
support the words. Unless someone in this room is a descendant from the Lip tribe, then we're all immigrants or descendants of immigrants living on stolen land. No one is legal or illegal on stolen
land. Mr. Mayor, you talked about your limitations. I ask you that you look at the powers that you have and the council members, the powers that you took when you took those positions that you have right now.
with those powers and the positions that you have, you have responsibilities. And I just want to address those responsibilities. And it's a simple message I want to give you today. It's very simple.
Words mean nothing without actions for the words. So if you're not for the immigrants trust act and doing things to make it go the way we want it to go, then you are against it. I just want to re repeat
that. Okay. If you're not for it and doing things to make it happen, then you're against it. If you're not for If you're not doing actions for Lambach, then you are against Landback. If you're not doing actions to end the
genocide in Gaza, then you are guilty of the genocide in Gaza. One more time, I just want to remind you of the powers and responsibility that you have. I ask you to do the right things. I ask
you to stand on the right side of history. I want to say love and honor to all the new immigrants in this country and free Gaza. Thank you.
[Music] Uh, I am a local to Princeton. Uh, I'm actually not going to state uh any identifying information because of my current status. I now worry uh about that. I am an immigrant, once an orphan
child from the plains of southern Siberia, brought to this land by the sons and daughters of other immigrants. My adoptive father, the son of an Italian and the stepson to a German woman who fled the Third Reich. My adoptive mother, the daughter of a native Icelander who married into this country following the occupation of our
island nation by Allied forces. My parents, Americanborn, continued the legacy of immigration. I am an immigrant. My closest childhood friends, a Filipino boy who taught me all I could learn about American street culture and a Trinidadian girl that laughed with me through the most performative moments of
my teenage years. An ironcladspirited Jamaican mother of two served as my lighthouse in a clouded sea of uncertainty when dreaming of obtaining my associates degree in electronics engineering. Without those who come from a foreign or alien origin, I would not be the person
I am today. I am an immigrant, one that stands alongside those of every race, creed, and belief. The last decade of advocacy for my world in my community, has been driven by the necessity that all migrants have the human right to prosperity, no different to how their
native-born counterparts would live. Without this right, the very fabric of our communities, nor our people, as a collective, face profound uncertainty for their future, an uncertainty that cannot be postponed through intentional ignorance, as it is already upon us. I write this statement to express my
immense support for the ratification of the resolution of the immigr. It is not enough to rely on the word that we can expect local law enforcement to not cooperate with ICE and CBP operations targeting migrants in Princeton. In Princeton, Princeton must have codified safeguards that ensure the
protection of those vulnerable to federal suppression and othering. Thank you. [Applause] Good evening. My name is Lacy. Uh I'm resident of Princeton and I'm a lecturer and historian at the university.
I at the university I teach and research African history and every semester I try and teach my students that small acts have big consequences and I hope and urge you to see that your support of the immigrant trust act resolution is one
small act toward a bigger consequence and in that vein tonight I want to speak on behalf of a local worker um who is afraid to attend tonight's meeting and this person states here one comes to help their families because the reality
that is in Guatemala there are few resources the salary is very low so people cannot earn enough money so that is why one comes here to help their family everyone in Guatemala says that the United States is the country to go
and help their family but life is also very hard here there are still very few resources that we we are able to access. So it is very hard for us to take advantage of the resources in this country. I urge you tonight on behalf of
this member, this member of the community, myself, my students, and everyone here tonight to support the Immigration Trust Act resolution. Thank you. [Applause]
Good evening. My name is Kaylee. I'm a resident of Lawrenville. I'm here to read a statement from a community member, Camila, who could not be here tonight. Dear Princeton council member, I'm writing to you so we can get the immigrant trust act resolution passed. As a Princeton University student, I
keep hearing about the value of freedom and democracy. But ever since I came to the US, I keep seeing the lack of freedom and self-determination for immigrants of color. They are mischaracterized by the media, harassed by law enforcement, and are incredibly at risk of being economically, verbally,
physically, and sexually abused. What happens when people cannot report wrongdoing for fear of deportation? What kind of lives are we forcing immigrants to live? Crouching or hiding in fear, living and believing that they are less than human. Everyone has one chance at
life and it is unacceptable that this only chance is ruined by policies created by people who are hungry for power, money, and completely unempathetic. As a young person in their 20s, I am tired of feeling hopeless and doomed. I hate hearing about moms delivering
stillborns in cells, people being dragged away before surgery, or children being forced to represent themselves in court. We wonder how people let these atrocity atrocious acts happen. But inaction kills. Indifference kills.
Refusing to use your power kills. Fascism is on the rise and it is a suicidal movement. One day they come for immigrants and the next day that they come for you. For me. I've had to go around carrying my US passport for fear
that maybe today it will be me. We must refuse to stand idly and stop deluding ourselves that it won't happen to this town and it won't happen to you or someone that you love. What happens to one person in this town affects everyone directly or indirectly. You have the
power to put your money where your mouth is and do incredible changes for this community as well as Princeton as a whole. This is a rare power and you should wield it for justice. Thank you for listening to this request, Camila.
[Applause] Hey, council members. Uh, my name is Ray Fallon. I'm a resident of Lawrenville, but I'm a pre-ervice teacher of English as a second language, and I taught this last spring at Princeton High School. Uh, I just wanted to say a few words uh
about the effect that this fear has on our children in our schools. All of us have this little piece of our brain called the amygdala and it's constantly scanning for threats all around us in our community uh in our immediate zone and as soon as it sees something it perceives as a threat it floods the
brain with cortisol and what that does is it shrinks the working memory. The working memory is where all of our learning happens. When our brain when our brain is flooded with cortisol like that we don't have the capacity to to learn new things. All we can do is
operate in a fear-based mode to protect ourselves. It's so important that we provide our students with a safe school, a safe community where they can focus on what's important and they can grow as people. One of the things that helps the amydala
say, "Hey, I'm safe. I'm in a good spot." Is to be able to look around and see these people are my community. They care about me. I'm in a safe place. I could focus on higher level thinking by passing this resolution that everyone out here is supporting tonight. You're
saying we are a safe community. Go ahead and focus on being a kid, on growing, and we will protect you. Uh yeah, thank you so much, guys. Hello. Good afternoon, council members. My name is Arlene Flores. I'm here with
my little brother, Luis, and my little sister, Esmeralda. And I am a born and raised u child. I was born and raised in Princeton, but I also have Mexican roots. My family has lived in Princeton for over 25 years. I
want to backtrack a little bit to a year ago when we had the ice raid. People were in so much fear. My neighbors were scared to pick up their children from school that from their schools that afternoon. They were scared to go to work the next day. They were scared to
go to the store. They were scared to go laundry. That is unacceptable. Isn't this an immigrant-friendly city? What are you guys doing to protect our community? People should not be living in fear. People should feel protected
and safe walking around the town. My neighbors still feel still live in fear of something happening to them or their families any time from today and on. Please put yourself in the shoes of our hurting families. Families are being torn apart. No person should feel
discriminated against just for this for simply being someone of color. Would you like for your child, your wife or husband to be grabbed by unknown masked men with guns and then be taken to detention centers where they are mistreated with little to no food, no
water. They're giving frozen they're given frozen food or even food with maggots. Sometimes they're not even able to shower for days and there are kept in really cold temperatures. Do you realize how inhumane that is? Some families
drive from far to visit their families and then they are told that they can't even visit their families. Many families are here just for a better life. Most people being detained by ICE are innocent, humble, hardworking people who work with pride and dignity. We are just
here to work and support our families. So you guys mentioned that police does not share information with immigration services. So why was my friend detained outside in the parking lot about few months ago? We are not criminals. We are survivors,
dreamers, parents, grandparents, uncles, aunts, cousins. We are the people. We are not criminals. We cook a our oppressor's food. We build our oppressor's houses. We cut our oppressor's grass. We pay taxes. We are
human beings just like you. I am here to raise the voice for those who are scared to speak up for themselves. So now I ask you to pass the protection for immigrants in this community. Our people beg for your help and consideration to this request. Make
a change for Princeton. Help keep ice off our streets. Thank you. Good evening, mayor and council. I just want to first thank you all for listening so patiently to each and every one of us. My name is Trent Levit. I live at 47A Park Avenue in Flemington,
New Jersey, and I'm a council member in Fington Burough. I have come here this evening to let you know that it is quick, easy, and simple to pass a resolution in support of the Immigrant Trust Act. If the Burough of Flemington could pull it off, I am sure this great municipality is capable of it, too. If you would like, I'd be more than happy
to send you a copy of the one that I ripped off from Madison Burrow and so and past so I can save your attorney the trouble of looking it up. If you think you can better serve your residents by staying quiet or not drawing attention to yourself, you're wrong. The time has
passed of being able to hide in the shadows. With ICE having a budget of $175 billion, silent or not, no community will be safe. I see it as our job as elected officials to work for and protect all the residents of our community, regardless of their immigration status or citizenship
status. The supremacy clause of the constitution is quite clear and our authority over these matters is very little, but we are obligated through our position to do at least the bare minimum for our residents. We are not asking you to torch an ICE facility or take up arms
against the US government. We are asking for you to use your voices and to speak up for those who cannot. So please join the Burough of Flemington and the other municipalities in this great state and pass a resolution in support of the Immigrant Trust Act. Thank you.
[Music] Thank you. My name is Chris Hedges. I've lived here since 2017. Uh I also spent 20 years overseas as a foreign correspondent
uh including in Central America in Guatemala during the genocide in Guatemala. 200,000 people were killed almost all indigenous. The war in El Salvador. I spent seven years in the Middle East. I was the Middle East bureau chief for the New York Times.
much of that time in Gaza where of course many of my friends and colleagues have been lost uh in this genocide and then I covered the war in the former Yugoslavia. I think what so frightens me is that I see so many echoes within our own
country of the kinds of things I witnessed in Pinoa's Chile in Argentina during the honta with 30,000 desapataraticos during the apartheid state in Israel uh just as uh
anti-semitism has been weaponized uh to essentially shut down dissent and free speech uh by demonizing those who oppose the genocide. So has the demonization of immigrants been used to create a rogue
and unaccountable secret police force that will now with a 28 billion a year budget be the largest police agency in the federal government. I've seen exactly these images of seizing people off of streets with
unmarked masks. Uh I I've watched that over and over and over. I think the very minimum that you can do is pass this resolution. Uh but I think many of us in this room realize that's only the start. Uh and what does that mean? It means
that we are committed in acts of nonviolent civil disobedience to prevent ICE in Princeton from going into our schools, from going into our stores, from being on the streets of this city.
uh and uh and at least within our own community, we can protect our neighbors, our dignity, our liberty, and our democracy. Thank you. [Music] Hello. Uh I'm Omar Dorman Schroeder. I'm
a lifelong resident of Princeton and an upand cominging volunteer EMT for the Princeton uh first aid and rescue squad. I'd like to remind everyone here that we are in a deeply historical moment. Many of the people who have immigrated to this country have done so because of the instability uh both economic and
political caused by the US federal government in the past. Um we are at a moment we are where we are asking you to not only write historical wrongs in that sense but to ensure a better future for the most integral members of our community. Thank you.
Thank you. Hi, good evening. Um, I'm a student at Princeton High School and um, I think I speak for many of the students at PHS when I say that we are outraged by what
is what ICE is doing in this country. Um, something that Princeton High School prides itself um on is the beautiful, diverse, and safe community of the school. Um, some of which is made up of undocumented
students. At PHS, we celebrate other cultures because they are what make PHS such an incredible place. Uh, we have some of the best education here in Princeton in the country. So naturally, many families
send their kids to this town to learn, to grow up in a safe and diverse and beautiful environment. No child, whether they are 6 years old or 18 years old, deserves to live in fear that they or their family will be
kidnapped by ICE. Immigrants are an integral part of Princeton. They are this community. It's called the Immigration Trust Act for a reason. It is a matter of whether the Princeton community can trust you or not. I urge
you to pass this act. Think of the kids at PHS and everywhere because we are the future. It is up to you to decide what future you want to build for us. Thank you. Good evening, council and mayor. My name is Paulo and I'm a resident here in
Princeton. Our community has gathered here today to ask you to pass a resolution in favor of the immigrant trust act. On July 4th, the so-called big beautiful bill was signed into law. And I am sure that everybody here in the council is already aware that this will
give $75 billion to the deportation and detention machine, the same one that has been terrorizing our neighbors, our community for so many years. Our community is in danger and as good as the immigrant trust directive may seem, it is not enough. And there are many
things missing in it. Princeton is a small place and if somebody steps their foot out of it, they're more likely to be abducted by ICE. And this is something that happened to one of our community members just a few weeks ago in Trenton. I understand that Princeton is your only
jurisdiction, but we should take a moment to ask ourselves, what else can we do? Should we be happy with only having the area within this barrel be a safer quote unquote place for our immigrant community? And by the way, as you're at,
people still do not feel safe. Last week in Edison, 20 people were arrested by ICE at a warehouse. And this is just the beginning of what ICE can and will do in New Jersey with its new budget. And if we haven't done anything
in our reach yet to denounce and attempt to stop these detentions in New Jersey, then we are already behind schedule. This is why we need your voice, council and mayor. What would you rather hear amongst all of us and what amongst all our
neighbors? Would you rather hear, "Oh, look, Princeton is quiet about the ITA or would you rather hear instead, oh look, Princeton has spoken up about the ITA and has voiced its support?"
At the very least, we see that reassurance is key. And even if this resolution doesn't have an immediate impact on whether the ITA passes, our community will hear you and know where you're standing. Last meeting you told us to trust you
and to work with you. Well, this is what we want to do. And if we didn't trust you, if we didn't trust you, we would not be here in the first place. But we are. And we want to work with you. We want to work together to get this resolution passed. That's why we will tell That's why we want you to tell the
New Jersey legislature that you want these protections for all immigrants in New Jersey and Princeton. And once again, that you will give us that reassurance that we are prepared in here. Oh, and how happy would it be to have our own municipality back us up at least in spirit with this resolution.
Now is the time to demand it at a greater level. And how happy would the state be with all its immigrants and all of the people who support immigrants to see this happen? So now it is in your hands to see if Princeton will lead by example once again or if we'll be silent and stay seated while we're under attack
by a vicious and racist administration. Thank you. So um my friend would like to do his testimony in Spanish. So I will be interpreting. be familiar. [Music] I Allejo. OSN.
for Sacrificial. The configur know to Lasto. So we didn't pass. [Applause] [Music]
[Applause] Good evening. Not even the rain or the storm has stopped me from being here to express my support for the Immigrant Trust Act. I am a resident of Princeton and I have lived here for several years.
Since I arrived in this country, I have worked hard to support my family. I work from 8:00 in the morning until 10 at night in a restaurant, always fulfilling my duties, paying taxes, and contributing to this community. But today, I want to share something very
personal. Some time ago, I was detained at the Elizabeth Detention Center. I was torn away from my family and I was separated from them for 6 months and 25 days. 6 months and 25 days away from my children, from my home, not knowing if I
would ever see them again. That experience marked me forever. And even though I am here now, every day I live with the same fear. I leave for work thinking, will today be the day I don't return home? Will today be the day my
children wait for me and I don't arrive? No one should have to live with that constant fear, especially in a community like Princeton where we have built our lives through effort and sacrifice. That is why I'm here today. That is why I raise my voice and ask you from the
bottom of my heart to pass the Immigrant Trust Act resolution. I know that passing this resolution won't completely eliminate the fear, but it will tell us that Princeton is on our side, that this town recognizes our humanity and our
worth, and that it will not turn its back to us. For us, that means a lot. It means being able to walk with a little more peace of mind, knowing that we are not alone. I ask you to think about our families, to think about our daughters,
to think about all the people who have gone through what I went through. We don't want privileges. We just want to live in peace with dignity. Thank you for listening. Thank you. Uh good evening. Uh I didn't come
prepared to speak. Uh but as I sat here, I realized I was the palest, grayest, smallest, most likely the oldest person here, and I wanted to stand and uh
support the resolution. Uh, I am um a Princeton resident on Bun Drive. My name is Marray McGee. I don't speak for every Quaker, but I'm pretty sure I speak for most of them. We've been on uh Quaker
Road uh since before this was a nation. And I want to say that we have always stood for the rights of everyone. So, I speak for them, but I also speak for me. I am the uh my ancestors
uh are in north were in North Carolina since be by the Earl of Granville given land that didn't belong to him and my ancient relatives vote on the wrong side of the civil war and I don't want to be on the wrong side of what's going on
now. [Applause] All right, good evening. I just want to make sure, can everybody hear me? All right, so good evening. My name is
Richard, a proud Ecuadorian immigrant, uh, who grew up his whole life with fear and undocumented, his whole life. Uh, I'm here tonight with someone who works closely with immigrant families in Princeton. I'm grateful for the chance to speak with you again and to do it in person this time, as I mentioned in the
last time in Zoom that we will be here in person. Um, the families we support aren't just quietly hoping that this resolution would pass. They are asking for it. They're paying attention and they want to be seen by their local government, not overlooked or told that this is the best way to stay quiet in
the face of oppression. I want to thank I want to thank council members Leticia Fraga and David Cohen for publicly expressing their support for the immigrant trust act resolution. We look we look forward to your yes votes. Um,
Councilwoman Mia Sachs, um, please don't be hard on our community like last time, uh, for not mentioning the resolution, for not mentioning the resolution when referring to the immigrant trust act. Um, they just want to be protected, that's all. We don't want to be technical with the words with you have to say resolution. They just want to be
protected. Um, councilman, uh, Lon, I do want to, you spoke with real sincerity last time, last meeting about wanting to build trust with the immigrant community. We hear that and we accept that invitation. Um, what a better way to begin building that trust with a
resolution. Um, and then we're here because we want to believe in collabor because we believe in collaboration, but trust doesn't grow out of silence or delay. Uh, it comes from being heard, being prioritized, and seeing real action. This resolution may be symbolic, but is a powerful symbolic action. It's
it says you matter, you belong here, and we will stand with you. I hope tonight marks the beginning of a genuine partnership between the council and Princeton immigrant families that are here. Uh, one rooted listening action and mutual respect. I believe that that
partnership can be right here with the passage of this resolution. Thank you so much. [Music] Hi, good evening. My name is Brad Hias. I am on the steering committee for the Greater Trenton branch of Democratic Socialists of America. I'm here tonight
with a lot of my friends from Resistencia supporting them. And I wanted to thank all the speakers that came before me for their stories. They've already laid out the facts and they've already laid out their personal stories as well. They can. And there's no way I'm going to match that. So, I'll
keep it brief. A lot of people tonight, students, historians, researchers, journalists like Mr. Hedges, have pointed out how important it is that we need to know our history so that we do not repeat things. We're not going to get anywhere by cowering or
trying to keep our heads low. There have been other times in this country when there were crises and it was always the start by just having to call it out. I know people have said, "Oh, this resolution, it's symbolic." Maybe, but that's the start
of it, right? It's the beginning of something and they want you to show them. When the abolitionist movement was fighting against slavery, they didn't do it by keeping their head down. They did it by agitating all the time. And it was so powerful that it could not
be ignored. And it led to the end of slavery in this country when working people came together in the 1930s to fight the rise of fascism to demand jobs, economic security, a right to a dignified life for themselves. They
didn't do it by being quiet. They did it by organizing. And they did it by making it so that the people in power could no longer ignore. We've seen all these before. So I ask you, please support the Immigrant Trust Act. Please stand with the community when they need you. Thank
you. Hello. Assalamu alaykum. Um, I'm glad we started with a land acknowledgement today. We also acknowledge that our nation has benefited from the uncompensated and exploited labor represented in the legacy of slavery and the present- day reality of exploited
labor, including the labor of our undocumented uh community members. My name is Asma Elhooni. I am a longtime organizer, a mother, a proud immigrant from Libya, and an organizer with Resistencia and Action, New Jersey,
which serves Mercer County, including Princeton. And I just want to start off by reminding the city council that we should never be met with statements like, "At least you can speak here. In many pace, in many places, people can't. I know. I know it wasn't meant in a bad
way, but it can feel like you're saying despite the fear, the pain, the daily weight we carry, we should be grateful that Princeton allows us to speak on it. No one should feel comforted that people in this town are scared but are still
allowed to speak. Also, I want to lift up something amazing that Mayor Freda, you said there is a writ that you said last time in the city council. There is a written plan in place for what we can do if ICE comes
into town. How to alert people, how to share information, and how to respond. This is important and this is wonderful. And if that document exists, we genuinely genuinely are glad to hear it.
But here's the thing. No one that we've spoken to in the immigrant community here in Princeton has ever seen it. It's not on the website. It's not been shared with the community events. And most people don't even know it
exists. So if a plan is meant to protect people, but the people it's meant to protect don't even know about it, then it can't do what it's supposed to do. So please, if you can share what that plan is and how you will alert us and the immigrant community, when you know I in
town, please let us know and show us this document so that we and everyone, including your staff, knows how to respond when Immigration Customs Enforcement comes to Princeton. Our goal at Resistencia is to advocate for the safety and dignity of immigrant families
in Princeton, many of whom already experience fear, exclusion, invisibility. That fear doesn't come from us. It comes from a national climate that has only gotten more hostile and from the lack of clear local
response to offer protection or calm those fears. And as a people who represent these families, we're honestly struggling to understand why a resolution, one that you've said is symbolic and nonbinding,
would be something you feel you can't support. That hesitation in itself is a message that the appearance of standing with immigrant communities is too politically risky. And that's a shame. I had 5 seconds. Please do the right thing, y'all. This is no big deal. Maryland is allowing
citizens to vote. We have more people to speak after you. Thank you. [Applause] Hello and good evening. My name is Daisy Gonzalez and I'm Mexican. This evening, I decided to raise my voice in the name of all our immigrant
brothers and sisters who cannot because of their legal status for fear or because they felt intimidated. It's no wonder we feel we feel unhumanly attacked as if we were animals or criminals when we are not.
The only crime we have committed is to have come to fight and work very hard to give our families a better future and give them their daily bread. And unfortunately, none of the little that we have built ourselves
with sweet and great effort has come for free because we support much of the country paying taxes and along the way we have lost family members. I remember when my mother migrated to
this country in 1993. She worked three jobs and her work day started at 4:00 a.m. preparing food for people and then we would leave and walk to her
second job and after that she would go to clean a restaurant at night. We would arrive home around midnight or 1:00 a.m. That was her daily routine. She worked so much and then she got
sick. Now she's no longer with us. In this country, you don't even have the right to get sick, especially if you're a single mother and you have to work hard
and pay the bills, rent, electricity, water, and more. That is why I'm raising my voice today, especially for the domestic workers and those who work and are not and are not paid justly
when we have to leave each day for our daily struggle. Many times we're obligated to leave our children with people who we don't even know exposed to dangers like physical and sexual abuse.
We have worked very hard contributing to this country and now the president wants to remove us unjustly. But we are not going to allow that. Today I ask you to please pass the protection
for the immigrant community. And today I ask you all to walk in hand with God. Uniting our forces together, we will overcome all difficulties because the people will save the people
and the people united will never be defeated. Thank you so much. [Applause] Sorry. Jorge Torres with the National Daily Lab organizing network part of resistance Aion that pays taxes
and we have an office in Princeton un Princeton town. What else do we need? How many hours do we have to keep doing this? We have a meeting with mayor and we didn't accomplish anything. We are
here to let you know that we are ready to work out this with you all. We are here to tell you that we will not stop. We will keep continue until this immigrant trust act resolution pass because we have to be accurate and we
have to say the right policy and the and the right names otherwise we got called out. So how many more do we need to do? How many more times do we need to come in front of you and tell you this? We will not stop. We will keep doing this.
We will keep working with the people that is that wants to work with us. I hope these testimonies have opened up the room and open up your hearts to do the right thing. We are desperate and I think all of these pe all of these
people that has spoke before me has say what they have to say. So, please support. Let's work together. Let's open our hearts. Let's do more than just put in pictures and Instagram and social media. Thank you so much.
Uh, good evening. Oh, sorry. Good evening everyone. Um, I am a proud youth leader with Resistencion and I'm here tonight because this matters to me deeply. protecting immigrant families like mine. Families who are too often treated unfairly by a system that sees us less than human. No one should have
to live in fear just for wanting a better life. I come from two immigrant parents who came to the US with dreams of safety, opportunity, and a future. In 2019, that dream was shaken when ICE detained my dad. for six months and 25
days. I didn't I didn't have my dad and not not a day passed without me crying for him. People People would make fun of me and say I didn't have a dad. People would make fun
of me and say I didn't have a dad when they found out my dad wasn't around. That experience opened my eyes to how painful and broken our immigration system really is. But my story, unfortunately, isn't the only one. Many in our community live with that same fear every single day. Fear that someone they love might not return home from
work, school, or even a simple walk outside. Fear that their family could be separated without warning like mine was. I've heard people say, "We already have a written policy." But this policy doesn't go far enough, nor does it protect all immigrants. Even a council member admitted, "If we had a governor
and AG that would not were were in support of the directive, it could be changed. Immigrant families couldn't shouldn't have to wonder whether their safety depends on the next election. A local resolution is the first step towards policies. We are depending on you to put in place." And yes, some say
a resolution is just words, but every law starts with words. Words backed backed by truth and action. Words matter when they stand for people tonight. We're not asking for a symbolic gesture. We're asking for a step forward. Some some may say that we don't want attention on Princeton. But guess what?
ICE came to Princeton just last summer. So you can't say you're you staying quiet will keep them away. If other towns have passed this resolution, why are we the ones hesitating? Trust doesn't come from saying we care. It comes from showing it. Immigrant families like mine live in fear right
now. You can't ask us to trust you while refusing to put that promise into policy. I also want to speak about I also want to speak on something a council member said. I'm glad that we still live in a country in which people feel free enough to at least call and express that they feel afraid. I know that was said with good intentions, but
it feels like it misses the point. We're not here just because we can speak. We're here because we have to. Speaking doesn't erase the danger we face. What matters is whether you're willing to listen and act. The immigration trust resolution is a necessary first first step towards justice. It would ensure
local law enforcement doesn't cooperate with ICE where the directive have carveouts when they can. Oh, I just I just want you to know that passing this won't stop us from being afraid, but it will tell us that Princeton has our back. Passing this resolution isn't just symbolic. It has the power to change our
culture. A message that Princeton believes in dignity, safety, and fairness for everyone. And I'm here today for speaking for every family that's still living in fear because dignified work and a life without fear are rights, not privileges. Thank you.
All right. That that's going to be hard to follow, but I will try. Uh my name is Anna Paola Pasmino. You've probably have seen me or heard from me in emails or on social media. I'm the executive director of Resistencia Nion. We are Thank you.
We we are proud to be here in Princeton working with the community, but mostly working with all of you. It is with gre gratitude that I give all of the speakers tonight. um that the willingness to speak up during these
times of uncertainty and solidarity are crucial. This is what's going to get us to the next point. We ask that you retake a look at the resolution wording that we emailed to you a couple weeks back. Everyone that has said the
immigrant trust act here is referring to the resolution that we have emailed and that we want to look at just like the one in Madison that I believe the may the mayor reached out to mayor um and see how we could work towards that. In
my attempts to meet with all of you individually, I think I have gotten back once or tw or two responses. So, I really would like to see if you could please reply and we could meet because it's important that we work together. Um,
[Applause] we also ask that your political power to work and begin to think of this as passing this resolution, the floor, not the ceiling, because there's a lot of work to do within the state. This will give you credibility and it
will give you legitimacy that you are working for and with the community. This is another important note that I must make. I urge you to bring in language justice to these meetings with an interpreter because here we are not
able to understand. There are many directly impacted people here that did not understand one word today if we are not translating their by their sides. New Jersey has passed the language access law making pro making it a uh law
to provide interpreting services for five most common languages in the state of New Jersey. And with that I want to say that we will be back to discuss this topic if needed but we're willing to meet outside. So, I urge you to please
give me a a email, a call, anything that you would like so we can continue to work together. And I know that there are some testimonies on Zoom that I would like you to please take. Thank you so much. [Applause]
[Music] [Applause] All right. Uh, sorry, I'm talking to the guy in the back room. Hey. Yeah. Okay. Thanks, Adam. Let's bring in the first person that has their hand up. Maya. Maya.
Hi. Can you hear Can you hear me? Yeah, we can. Go ahead, please. Oh, perfect. Sorry about that. Um, good evening. Um, I wish I could be there in person. Um, unfortunately due to a a personal injury as well as the
flooding, I wasn't able to make it. Um, but I am a Princeton student at the Masters in Public Policy program at the School for International Affairs and uh international and public affairs. Um, I'm a master's student and I live in Princeton during the semester and during
the summer I'm living uh with my family in Union City. Um and I'm calling in and I I just wanted to add to the many uh voices here today um with two major points. Um the first is that because I
live in both I've lived in both Princeton and other towns in New Jersey at this point simultaneously. Um I can I hope offer some um light on the point of well what about the other towns that
have passed similar resolutions in support of the immigrant trust act? And I know some hesitation has been expressed that by passing resolutions in support of the act, maybe there will be increased exposure or increased um smoke, you know, on the on those towns
that speak out. And um I live right now in one of the towns that did speak out immediately for the immigrant trust act. Union City and We Hawin did that. And so as someone who calls both towns home, then I have to wonder, is the message that you're hoping they come for us
instead? Um, and I have to say that there's no town in New Jersey better equipped to handle the smoke prestige-wise, financially, and the incredible organizing that Princeton is so lucky to have with Resistencia. There
is no town that is more ready for the fight we're all about to be into than Princeton. And um, in fact, my experience has been the opposite. that by taking an extremely strong stance at the local level to protect migrants both
through policies with teeth, exerting upward pressure for statewide policies and sending the message that ICE is not welcome in the towns of Union City and Wehawen, we have seen far far fewer um ICE arrests and raids than the surrounding towns which have not spoken
out. So either way you slice it, right? Whether it actually does draw attention or not, um I feel the support much more from one of the towns I live in than the other one in this moment. And the evidence shows that
that we are safer here. But even if it didn't, is is the hope then that Princeton can hunker down and and and hope that other towns in New Jersey are taken first. Um I don't think that that's the way that we want to be thinking about New Jersey. We want to be fighting as one New Jersey, as one
country, and saying you come for one for for one of us, you come for all of us. Um, and the other perspective I want to take on this is that um, you know, I was an undergrad at Princeton as well. Um, and I studied uh, genocides and occupations. I have also Jewish.
The time is up. Thank you. Adam, I just want to say good evening. Can you hear me? Yes, we can. Thank you. Um, good evening. My name is Rowan Johnson and I'm a student at Princeton University and a human rights
organizer within the broader Princeton community. I can't add much to what's already been said tonight, but regardless, I'd like to share a few insights from the last council meeting. At that meeting, I was heartened to hear that the council as a whole seemed to support the policies embodied in the immigrant trust act and share a desire
to protect our immigrant community from the abuses currently being perpetuated by the federal government. What disheartened me greatly, however, was the way that the council brushed aside the points, the concerns, and the raw emotions that were shared by its constituents, choosing instead to harp
on the notion that we did not make clear enough the distinction between the state level bill and our town specific resolution and chastising us for not giving sufficient credit to Princeton's existing procedures and for allegedly not desiring to work with the council in good faith. On the contrary, it's pre
it's precisely because we believe that this town can and has been a role model for New Jersey that we're pushing so strongly for this resolution. Now, I appreciate that you've taken this issue seriously enough to task the CARES Committee with examining similar resolutions passed by other towns and
drafting their own resolution. But I'm disappointed, however, that you do not have enough trust in your own community members to even introduce our resolution to the council floor or like Colandria mentioned earlier to invite us to the deliberation table. This resolution is
more than mere words on a page. It puts upward pressure on the state legislature, particularly our own district representatives, to act to protect our immigrant community. And even more than that, it represents a commitment to your immigrant constituents that no matter what happens
on the state level, you align with the values of the Immigrant Trust Act, and you will take action to protect them in spite of federal fear-mongering. The immigrant trust directive has served us well, but for the reasons outlined by my fellow speakers, it simply does not do
enough. Most importantly, the directive is vulnerable in a way that the act, if passed, would not be. Jack Chidarelli, if elected in the fall, will undoubtedly rolled the ITD back, and Mikey Cheryl herself has not categorically committed to keeping it. Ultimately, what I ask of
you is to listen to the testimonials of your constituents from tonight and the previous council meeting. It is overwhelmingly clear that despite Princeton's positive overall track record, our immigrant community continues to be scared. They're in the room with you right now, and they're
telling you that this is the way to strengthen their trust in you. So, please do not go on avoiding our Immigrant Trust Act resolution. bring it to the council floor and pass it with all deliberate speed. Thank you.
Thank you. Hello. Hello. Hi. May I ask for an extra moment um to address in Spanish as I finish um addressing my English uh speech? Yeah, I appreciate it. I I'm sorry. I have a
hearing problem. I have a hard time hearing you. What' you say? I apologize. Um, good evening. Um, may I ask for an extra moment to address in Spanish when I finish um, addressing you? Okay, go ahead. Thank you. I appreciate it. My name is Sulie Rosales Cario. I spoke during our
last council meeting two weeks ago. I shared my story about coming to Princeton as a refugee child from Guatemala. Um, and tonight I I I apologize. I Hello. Oh, are you able to hear me? Yes, we can.
Hello. Yeah, we can hear you. I apologize. I want to begin by clarifying that I do not represent any group or organization. However, I am and we should all be extremely grateful for the organizations and activists fighting
for our Princeton community tonight. I speak for myself as a concerned Princetonian who has been long connected and engaged with our immigrant community. Tonight, I ask you to take a moment to reflect on our Princeton University community at large, our amazing intellectual community. What if
they were being targeted, persecuted, and terrorized? Ask yourselves, how much urgency would you place on protecting them? How quickly would we be act to ensure their safety and peace of mind? Now, I just ask you to hold that same mirror up to your our immigrant
community. Where is that same urgency for them, for us? We've been here before, and in the past, this town has shown up. We stood up alongside of immigrants, made it clear, you belong here. We care, and we see you. I recall when our chief of police called our town
hall meeting in Spanish to assure immigrant neighbors, if you're a law-abiding member of our community, the authorities are here to protect you. We will not participate in ICE raids. And that message really mattered. It needs to be said again and louder. It needs to be done again with greater intention
because our voice of support must be louder than the voices of the act and the actions of the oppressors. We can't just tell people there's an office you can visit, human resources office. That's not enough. That's not care and that's not protection. Instead, we need
to ask, how can we help you? How can we help protect you? And it seems our community has shown up tonight to partially answer that question for you. Let us not sit back in silence and vague resources. Let us move forward with courage, clarity, and community.
Thank you. Thank you. [Applause] Hi. Um, I'm just going to assume that you guys can hear me. Um, my name is Tasia. Um, I shop in Princeton quite a bit and and visit um quite frequently. I
I'm just going to keep my statement short because I think there's been a lot of very moving statements already, but um I just want to say please support um the Immigrant Trust Act resolution and
um do what's right for Princeton. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. [Applause] Okay. Thank you all for having been here tonight. Thank you for your comments. we are gonna move on to the next section of the meeting.
Okay. I think it's just fair. No, I I just wanted to uh [Applause] So what I said is that I thank them for being here uh present and for their
advocacy uh and also to say that I personally support the immigrant trust act. I wish I wish that our state legislators would take it up so that we could really
from the disable do something meaningful and uh in order to to actually be able to support uh adopt a resolution which we are consider as mayor Freda mentioned it's not just that we're looking at other towns to see
what they did we actually my colleague David Cohen and and I already drafted a resolution that is tailored to what we're doing in Princeton to uh that will uh actually one that builds on the
current efforts that we're already doing and also our commitment to continue fostering uh trust within our community. So, when the mayor mentioned that we're uh asking our CARES Committee, for those that are
not familiar with it, it's our committee on affordable housing, racial e and economic and equity, and plus social services. We're just want to make sure that we're very thoughtful and deliberate on the wording of the
resolution to ensure that whatever we do will not lead to unintended consequences. Uh we we Princeton, we're committed and we have been leading with action in support
of our community and we will continue to do that. Thank you. Thank you. [Applause] Okay. Next up is a public hearing on ordinance 25-1, an ordinance by the municipality of
Princeton increasing Princeton sewer service charges and amending the code of the Burrow of Princeton, New Jersey, 1974. Is there a motion on that? Thank you, David. Is there a second? Michelle's got the second. Council
comments or questions? All right, seeing none, is there anyone from the public here to speak on this uh ordinance? All right, seeing no one, I'll close the public hearing and ask for a roll call vote. Mr. McDonald,
yes. Miss Peron Lamrose, yes. Mr. Cohen, yes. Miss Saxs, yes. Miss Frogga, yes. Mr. Nulan, yes. Thank you. Uh, resolution 25-233, resolution of the mayor and council of
Princeton authorizing an increase of $25,000 to the not to exceed amount for the professional services agreement with PSNS LLC for professional engineering services in connection with the TuneU road pedestrian improvements project for
a new not to exceed amount of $178,500. Michelle's got the motion, David's got the second. Questions or comments? Yeah, I just wanted to quickly comment um that the reason for this change order I think is very positive. Uh this project is
adding sidewalks along both sides of Chhune Road as a safe routes to transit. But the uh scope of work is being changed by this to include raised crosswalks at several of the intersections which I think is going to be a wonderful uh safety enhancement.
Um, so I just wanted to make sure sure people knew why it was, you know, we get these change orders all the time. Sometimes they're not as uh wellfounded. Yep. No, it's always good to know why we're doing something. Any other questions or comments? All right. All in favor, please say I.
I. I. Resolution 25234, resolution of the mayor and council of Princeton authorizing the award of a contract to Unif Corporation for uniform purchases for an amount not to exceed $60,000 utilizing Sourcewell National Cooperative Purchasing Contract 011124-
UFC. Is there a motion on that? Thank you, Michelle. Is there Leighton's got the second questions or comments? All right. All in favor, please say I. I. I. Resolution 25235. Resolution of the mayor and council of Princeton authorizing an increase of
$40,000 to the not to exceed amount for the professional services agreement with Maza I always say this wrong. Maziti Falcon LLP for legal services in connection with the PCRD litigation for a new not to exceed amount of $105,000.
Is there a motion on that? Thank you, David. Is there a second? Thank you, Mia. Questions or comments? Yeah, I'll just comment this is one of those change orders that is not for such a great reason, right? This is right.
Yep. Litigation. Litigation. Frivolous. Any other. Okay. All in favor, please say I. I. I. I. Resolution 25236, resolution of the mayor and council of Princeton authorizing the award of two contracts.
I'm sorry. Can we get the door? Close the door. Can Yeah. Would somebody mind just shutting those doors? That'd be great. No, I think just need to close the doors. If you could just shut the door so we can hear. Thank you.
Thank you. [Music] There's a trick to closing those doors. The lock at the bottom is a little tricky. Yeah, Bernie should you got to push down on it with your foot hard. It'll pop up. Anyway, resolution of the mayor and council of Princeton authorizing the
award of two contracts to Gabrieli truck sales for a 2025 Kenworth T480 4x2 vehicle chassis for 146,720.31 utilizing Sourcewell National Cooperative Purchasing Contract number 032824-
KTC and to Jetack Equipment for an 800HPR Echoseries 4 truck mounted jet for $231,791 utilizing Sourcewell National Cooperative Purchasing Contract number 101221-S
CA. Is there a motion on that? Thank you, Brian. And I'm sorry, somebody had the second. I missed the hands. Leighton, you've got that. Thank you. Any questions or comments? All in favor, please say I. I. I.
Resolution 25237, resolution of the mayor and council of Princeton authorizing the award of her professional services agreement to French and Pllo Associates for construction administration services for the rehabilitation/replacement of two pedestrian foot bridges in the Mountain Lakes Preserve for an amount
not to exceed $175,986. Is there a motion on that? Mia's got the motion. Michelle's got the second. Questions or comments? All in favor, please say I. I. I uh resolution 25238 resolution of the mayor and council of Princeton
authorizing the award of a professional services agreement to Saboohai Asher MH Firefly Research and Advocacy for Community Needs Assessment for an amount not to exceed $30,616.
Leticia's got the motion and Michelle's got the second. Questions or comments? All in favor, please say I. I. I. Uh, resolution 25239, resolution of the mayor and council of Princeton authorizing the arts council of
Princeton to hold an outdoor art market/refair on Saturday, November 8th, 2025. Let's got the motion. Leighton's got the second. Questions or comments? Michelle, I have a comment. I just I want to thank um Adam Welch for u cons you know
serious consideration of some of the concerns that we brought up about the layout. Um looking and really digging in to look at whether or not it would be feasible to have this on Witherspoon Street. He looked at closing from would have to close all the way from Paul
Robson to Nassau and that would mean closing like five streets. he wouldn't be able to fit all the tents. I think he would lose about 20% of the tents uh or the vendors and it would exceed uh cost.
So it would really be uh very cost prohibitive. But I really appreciate the fact that you have taken upon yourself to look at these concerns and work with engineering to see if it would lay out and think about some other types of events. uh hopefully will come up soon
where we can do something maybe from Spring Street to Nassau and Witherspoon because it would be really lovely to do that as a pedestrian event. So that's hopefully that's in the works. Um but in the meantime I just want to thank you for looking at that and I also have to
say that that would be extremely disruptive for parking and um for businesses but again I I it's it was worth looking at. So thank you. Any other questions? option. Yeah, we don't want you to lose 20% of your
revenue, Adam. For sure. Um, but can I just ask was that including the plaza along Witherspoon and and the plaza? Okay. So, the only way we would be able to use Witherspoon Street for and and
Michelle, you said it would be disruptive of the businesses. Well, it would close traffic in circulation for those five streets, right? So, from a circulation standpoint, you're you're you're only
closing the um you're you're losing the parking. So, it's a it's inconvenient for the residents. Um Okay. So, we spent millions of dollars to um create a space on Weatherspoon Street to have events like this, which was supposedly supported by the business
community, but now it turns out that we can't have those events. No, I just said that we're looking at events that will be able to be accommodated, but this has over how many attent like over a hundred. Yeah, it's a very large scale event. I mean 100 is huge.
What events could we have there? Lots of stuff and things are in the works. There's a couple events that like what would be the approximate size? Well, so much a much smaller type of you can have music, you can have the street closures, you can have you can have vendors, you can have lots of vendors,
but 100 10 by10 tents that take up and you have to have space for fire trucks to go through for pedestrians, it's not that big. Okay. It's just next time we spend millions of dollars, you know, to transform something for a certain purpose, I think it would be good to
know that we actually can well do what we said we were going to do, which clearly we can't, which is frustrating. So anyway, okay, any other questions or comments? And on that bright note,
all right, see no other questions or comments. All in favor, please say I. I. I. Next up, resolution 25240, resolution of the mayor and council of Princeton approving Triumph Restaurant and Brewery's request to hold an October Fest celebration on Saturday, September
13th, 2025 on the Palmer Square Green. The TC is making a motion. Michelle's seconding questions and comments up here before we get to the audience. Let me just get our questions and comments first and then don't I know you're there. No sweat. I'm sorry. Who I lost track. Why don't I
just start at the end and work my way up? Um, I saw some correspondence today um that um made me wonder if there are any legal issues to consider. Yes. Well, it's
it's possible. I don't know that there really are or that there are not. our attorney. Um, we were contacted by an attorney by Palmer Square Management today. Uh, which gives our attorney gave our attorney really no chance to look at
what that attorney had to say and time to render an opinion. Um, so good question. Uh, I think we should have some discussion of this tonight and we have a number of options. A, we could make no decision. uh we could postpone
this or we could make a decision subject to uh clarification by our attorney that we had the ability to make that decision. I would say this, it is our property. It is not Palmer Square management's property. Uh we have
questions as to how the approval process has worked in the past. Uh we made a good faith effort to have a discussion with Palmer Square management about that and I was frankly very surprised to see an attorney's letter today. Um having said that I hope that we will
have a productive conversation with Palmer Square Management in the very near future. Um but our options always are to just cancel the agreement with Palmer Square Management. But under the current agreement, we need to give them a year's notice. Um, but we could do
that tomorrow if we needed to. Uh, anyway, I'm happy to answer any other questions on the limited information I can share with everybody just based on there's not a lot to to tell you, but I think we did have some legitimate concerns as to the how the approval process was working. It's not a space to
be used only for Palmer Square management approved projects or events. Um, other community groups should be able to use the square also. Okay, did that answer your question enough? All right, Michelle. And I'm just working my way down the line. Yeah. Um, so my understanding from what
I read as well was that we do we were within our rights to give permission for the use of that. And I see that um, Eric Nut is here. So perhaps he might have some some words um to share with us some information to shed light on that. But I
would think too if we're talking about a September event um that you know it would be good I'm sure they need to know with some with some uh lead time if you know again if we're within our rights to give permission then you know
I I think we should move forward unless there was something precluding us that our attorney would have told us before this meeting. Yeah. Well, I think we need to give our attorney time to review again what the other attorney said and and render an opinion as to whether there's any reason
for us not to grant the approval or not, but so well, I think we should. Okay. Anyway, yeah, I I'm sorry, your name's Eric. Yeah. Uh, so the the only comment I would make is again in reading through
materials that we got today that it suggested that Palmer Square Management's general policy is not to approve events uh for for-profit entities um in the way that they
schedule events. So if you can um you know offer some information about that. It does seem to be possibly opening a can of worms to approve this event for a for-profit agency in terms of who else
um would who who might be a for-profit would want to utilize this space in the future and how we make a distinction between between for-profit entities that might want to do something there. Right. And I our attorney actually is on
on Zoom, but I will say at a prior meeting we had with Palmer Square Management, our attorney looking at the agreement did say that this specific event in her opinion was one that could be approved per the terms of the agreement and the stipulations as to
what type of entities could use or could not use the green. Let me just keep working my way on down. Go ahead. So, if our attorney said it was acceptable and it's on the agenda, I and there's a a time issue um and it's our
property, I would suggest that we go ahead and approve an event that our attorney has said is okay, which is on our property. I don't know why someone would else, another entity would tell us what we can and cannot do on our own property. Um, and if uh something comes to light
subsequently, then we can change it, but at least we've acquitted oursel of what's on the agenda for today. Yep. It's my two cents. Mayor, can you just there's there's a question of of property ownership here.
No, no, there's no question of property ownership. We own We have the municipality owns the green. Palmer Square is not disputing that we own the green. They are disputing their attorney, I'm sorry, their attorney is disputing whether we
per the agreement that's in place with Farmers Square Management have the the right, the ability, the authority to approve an agreement for use of that green that Palmer Square Management may
not agree to. Okay. And will we have legal leadership in this or Well, Trisha is on the call, but I mean, Palmer Square Management has a rep here, so I think we should let her speak and then Triumph is here
and they can speak and we'll hear all that and then we can decide if we're going to take action tonight or not. Do you want Please come on up. Thank you. Um, if you just just I'm sorry. Just
introduce yourself for the sake of my name is Ner. Yeah. Yeah. I'm sorry. You got to speak into the microphone. My bad. Sorry. Again. Okay. Good evening everyone. My name is Aner Shaw. I'm an attorney with the law firm Tropman Pepper Law. The law firm serves as outside counsel to Palmer
Square Management LLC. Um, which owns one of the lots that makes up the green. I I heard the discourse indicating that the both lots are owned by the town. So, I just want to note that for the record. And
everybody hear me? Okay. Yeah. I'm sorry. Hey, Adam, can we turn the volume up on that mic or something? I know I'm having a hard time. When I say Adam, I mean the Adam in the back, not Adam from the Arts Council. She said the town only owns one of the lots. Yeah, there's a very small Okay, sorry.
I didn't mean to get into that much minutia. The vast majority of the green is owned by the municipality of Princeton. There is a sliver of the green, what people would consider the green, which is the area where the chest tables and that sort of stuff is more or less that corner that is owned by Palmer Square Management.
Thank you. Um I understand that you've had the chance to review the letter that was submitted by Mr. Letia earlier today u sent to Mr. Vazdovic. um I will rely on or arguments set forth in that um letter for the most part, but I do want
to take this time to reiterate that the request that was submitted to the town by Triumph was improper under the two agreements that are in place um dated I think 1982 1983. Under those two
agreements, uh, Palmer Square management is the manager and all third party requests to use the green must be reviewed and approved by Palmer Square. That is our position and on that basis we object to adoption of this resolution.
Right. So let me again I'm not an attorney but I would say this to that Palmer Square management shows up here every year and reads off a list of events correct that most of the time we just listen to and say, "Oh, how nice that is that you're doing those." But the actual reason they do that is we aren't
supposed to actually approve those events. So I would find it strange that we have to approve the events that Palmer Square Management wants to hold, but we have no right to approve an event that someone else wants to hold on our property.
I I I think um that's what the two agreements call for that uh Palmer Square is in charge of uh coming up with the application process and by that we come up with the application process which includes
an organization submitting an application to Palmer Square which then reviews it and then ultimately um approves it. And this year, uh, I guess this has been done for the last 40 years. And this year was no different
with the exception that Palmer Square left off one of the events that was already approved. And I think with that, this issue came up where Triumph went ahead and applied for a permit to have
their event on the same day as this fall music concert that was previously approved for. And right and and and I'm I really don't mean to be arguing with you. I'm sorry, but you're the only one there, so I have to right. So Palmer Square actually
forgot to ask for permission for all their fall events. When they were here previously, they only asked for their spring and summer events. They asked for none of their fall events. So our reply to them was that having no prior request for events on this date, we were going
to entertain the event request from Triumph. And since they were the first in line for that date, we felt administratively there'd be no reason to deny them. So, if I may. Yeah. Yeah. Go ahead.
It is my understanding that noise permits were already issued for this event and they were later rescended. That is correct because there was no approval for the event. So, the noise permit should have never been issued which was rectified by rescending those noise permits for events again that had
not yet been approved. Thank you for your time. If you have any questions that I may address, let I'll tell you what. Let let's hear from Triumph. Okay. And then if we have questions, we'll come back to you and we'll figure out what the heck we're doing. Absolutely. Thank you. Thank you. I appreciate your patience.
Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Good evening, council. My name is Eric Nut. This is Brendan Anderson. We represent Triumph. Um I've been with the company for 25 years, Brandon for over 20. Uh we've got a lot of longevity with Triumph. uh in
in all three previously four of our marketplaces and we have always tried to work with the community in each market that we serve whether that's Redbank, New Hope, Princeton, uh previously Philadelphia. Um it's our goal to be a
community partner always to work with our neighbors to work with other restaurant tours in the neighborhood. Um, we've got a 30-year history of that in Princeton since 1995. We were the first licensed in the state
uh in ' 9394. We opened in '95. So, there's a 30-year history in town of us being fairly good neighbors uh and wanting to work with all of our um partners. Um, this event is no different. It's a community-based event.
It's a family event. Um, based on how we run these in in Redbank and in New Hope, we're envisioning u a traditional German style band on the on the front steps. Um, a grill where we'll have German
sausages and pretzels. Uh, face painters for kids. Uh, pumpkin decorating stations for kids. It's a family event. Um because we haven't hosted this before in Princeton, uh we're unsure as to how many folks
will arrive. Uh we envision a 4-hour time frame, most likely 12 to 4. It's an afternoon event. Um you know, we just see it as a as a as a partnership with town as a way to bring families in for retailers, for other
restaurant tours, not just Triumph. Uh, and it's literally right out the front door on the village green and it just makes sense to us to have it there. So, um, that's why we filed the permit for it. We'd love to have an Octoberfest in town. Uh, it's our goal to do that. Uh,
we're hopeful that we can have it there and not have to find alternative locations. Um, but, uh, any if you have any questions, please. Okay, let's Oh, Michelle, go ahead. Just a couple comments. First of all,
thank you so much for partnering at the Princeton Shopping Center. I know you're working with them. It's really great and you've always been a great um community partner. My suggestion here is that I mean certainly this among other events we
want to encourage because this helps everybody and certainly helps Palmer Square as well. So it helps all the merchants, it brings people in and you people don't distinguish. Uh they just come and enjoy. So I think it's wonderful. Um but in terms of this
issue, I really would just suggest that we get together again with Palmer Square and and work out the arrangement for going forward. But right now, if we're within our rights, I think we should um move forward. We've moved it and uh I
know how I'll vote. So I I think we should just move forward this evening. And I thank you for um for for doing this. Thank you. And and yeah, thank you. other David. Yeah, I mean the only
I I'm inclined to do the same. Um, it sounds to me I I guess the one bit of testimony we haven't heard is why this event was sort of turned down by Permer Square or I guess it's because they
thought they had scheduled something else for the same date, but they just hadn't uh gotten hadn't let the town know about that. That's the reason. That's the reason because there was a conflicting event. Yeah, that's correct.
And we also never received anything from Triumph. Uh, usually the process is when an organization is interested, they come to us. Palmer Square. Oh, okay. Cuz I don't think we were aware that we needed to contact Palmer Square. Okay.
So is the other event previously asked Palmer Square for uh we we we asked Palmer Square um in a friendly manner if there would ever be an opportunity that we could use the green and the word back to us was no.
Thank you. I just want to make that point that everybody heard that. Thank you. I'm sorry. Who was So is there still that alternative event scheduled on the same day? That's my understanding. Correct. Yes. And is it a large event? It's I think the annual uh fall music
fest. I'm sorry. Just come to the microphone because people on Zoom can't hear. Okay. My bad. I believe it's the annual fall music fest. So yes, the the music fest is a series of it's bands playing over a series of weekends.
Sounds very like it could contribute to October Fest. The more the marrier, right? Right. Okay. Uh Leticia, you have Yes. No, I just not related specifically to the event. Uh I want to thank you for I bet you didn't expect to be here this
long, but uh thank you for being here, you know, and and thank you for thinking about the community as far as uh hosting community building events. I understand that you're also uh planning to uh be
present at the arts council's diia loss muertos event with the beer garden. So again another community building event. So um I appreciate and thank you for that. Our pleasure. Thank you. Any other questions or comments up here?
I just want to I totally agree in terms of being a community partner. We appreciate it and as Leticia said the um participate supporting the arts council um and also um you have really um helped bring the shopping center alive this
summer. I have gotten almost daily I hear people raving about um what you're doing at the shopping center. So thanks so much for that. Yeah, of course. It's been fun. Yeah. And and look, I I just want to say as much as I'm beating up on Palmer Square Management right now, Palmer Square Management has been an excellent
community partner up until this one event or this this this discussion. No idea why why that is, but I just don't want to I just don't want people to to think that Farmers Square Management is bad. It's just that we have a disagreement and uh in the past we have
worked wonderfully well with them. Any other comments from any of the three of you before we take action? Well, I'm just thank you for your time and if I may, um I I do want to note that when you're interest when an organization is interested in um applying for an event
on on the green, they're directed to um the Palmer Square website where they have to fill out the application forms. Just so that's on the record. I want to note that. Um and lastly, um I think our main rationale for I guess our push back is
this has been working for the last 40 years. So why change it now? Uh applicants come to us and we look at their events and then we approve them. Yep. Thank you for your time. No, thank you. Yeah, I I'll just say it sounds like
this is an unfortunate series of events u mis miscommunication. Um so uh I don't think any of us are questioning the efficacy of the arrangement that's existed for 40 years.
Uh we're just trying to get past um a difficult blip and I think we've sort of come to a conclusion of how we'd like to move forward. Right. And I and I I would just say to all I just want to make sure as as we're about to vote that we all understand
that our attorney still needs to do a detailed review of what the Palmer Square Management Law Firm sent to us and she hasn't done that yet. So, we're going to take an action that is subject to our attorney coming back and saying, "Yeah, yeah, you guys were good." Or, "Uh, wait a minute, we missed something
earlier and we need to do whatever." So, just so everybody's on the same page. I just want to make sure that's real clear. Okay, it's been moved. It's been seconded. All in favor, please say I. I. Anybody opposed? Okay. Thank Thank you. And sorry you
guys had to hang out here all night, but thank you. What better place to be? I'm here. Okay. Next up is the consent agenda. There's five items on the consent agenda. Leticia is moving them in block. Thank you very much. Is there Thank you. Michelle's got the second. All in favor say I. I.
Thank you, David. Please move to adjourn. Is there a second? Thank you, Brian. All in favor say I. I. We are done. Thank you all. Have a great evening. Record.