Okay. All right. Good job. Little giant really. So there's two there's two things. I think people special detail that's habitat and
This is literally like a table. special. >> Yeah. over more data. Yeah. But I will send it to my sister
watch. Calling to order. Please rise for the pledge of allegiance 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. The open public meeting. >> Adequate notice of this special meeting of the township council of the township of Roxbury was given as required by the open public meetings act as follows. On December, 2025, notice was published in the daily
record. On December 26, 2025, notice was emailed in facts to the daily record, Northstar Ledger, and West Morris reporter. Notice should also be posted on the township website and bullet board in the main hallway of municipal building. Thank you. Roll call. >> Councilwoman >> here.
>> Councilman Kerry >> here. >> Deputy Mayor Crowley >> here. >> Councilman D. Philippo >> here. >> Councilman Hall >> here. >> Councilman Riley >> here. >> Mayor Patillo >> here. >> Brings us to item four hearing an adoption of ordinance on second reading 19-25.
An ordinance an ordinance authorizing the conveyance of township owned real property to Morris Habitat for Humanity, Inc. Have a motion to open to the public. open to the public and I'll second. >> All in favor? >> I >> Does anybody in the public wish to be
heard on this ordinance and this ordinance alone? Please come to the microphone, state your name and address for the record. >> Hi, good evening. I'm Ali Dwarte, 22 Brockton Drive, Mendum Township. So, not a resident of Brockbury, but I do come up here a lot for shopping purposes and
the f workers. Um, anyway, I I did want to comment on the ordinance because I actually wanted to congratulate you. Uh, you are adding to your affordable housing, although I'd like to call it housing that's affordable uh for people who want to move into our communities here in Morris County. Uh, Habitat for
Humanity is a fantastic partner. uh they've built uh hundreds and and around the world, you know, thousands, tens of thousands of units for people who are looking for housing. So, I know you've worked with them in the past. You've even had students get involved with projects. So, I really wanted to commend
you uh for this conveyance and for continuing uh to work in in compliance with the state program. It's not easy. I, you know, been there with Menum Township. You struggle. You try to find appropriate locations. you work with your professionals, you know, your attorneys, etc. But, uh, no, really,
it's, uh, quite commendable that you're able to continue and add to your affordable housing. Uh, I also think it sends a very, uh, strong and positive message about your community and that you're welcoming. You're a welcoming community for a diverse set of people, uh, people from different backgrounds,
people who, um, it's going to offer them an opportunity to move to Roxbury who perhaps otherwise couldn't. So, I wanted to um just say that and congratulate you. >> Thank you. >> Does anybody else >> Does anyone else in the public wish to
be heard on this ordinance? >> A motion to adopt. >> Oh, sorry. All in favor? >> Motion to adopt. >> Amy, roll call. Councilwoman Alrech, >> yes. >> Councilman Kerry, >> yes. >> Deputy Mayor Crowley,
>> yes. >> Councilman Dippo, >> yes. >> Councilman Hall, >> yes. >> Councilman Riley, >> yes. >> Mayor Pato, >> yes. Item five, introduction and adoption of resolutions. >> Any discussion? >> Roll call.
>> Councilwoman Alrech. >> Yes. >> Councilman Kerry. >> Yes. >> Deputy Mayor Crowley. Yes. >> Councilman Dalippo. >> Yes. >> Councilman Hall. >> Yes. >> Councilman Riley. >> Yes. >> Mayor Patillo. >> Yes. >> This brings us to item six, our public portion for the night. Before we open to the public, I'd like to read the
statement. To the best of this council's knowledge. No officials in the township of Roxbury have been contacted by the federal government, nor do we have any information from them at this time regarding the validity of the Washington Post's report. The article itself
characterizes its source as a draft and subject to change. No plans have been presented to the township and no discussions were held between Roxbury officials and DHS or ICE. Upon learning of this information through the media,
we immediately reached out to our county, state, and federal representatives. They likewise became aware of this matter through the media reports. and at this time do not have any additional information either. As we continue to
work with our representatives to determine how Roxberry appeared on this list, we will we are committed to keeping our residents fully informed and will provide clear and transparent updates at as information becomes available. We
also remain fully committed to the safety of our residents and your protection will continue to be as it always has been a top priority to this council. I'd like to ask anybody who wishes to come up and address the council to
please maintain the threeminut rule. We will be keeping a time. Um, so at this point in time, does anyone in the audience wish to be heard on any topic, any topic at all? Please come up to the mic, state your name and address for the
record. >> Good evening. My name is Shelley Morningar. I live at 70 um Oakwood Village in Flanders and I'm a neighbor of Roxberry by about less than a quarter of a mile. I too spend a lot of time shopping here. Um I appreciate the
opportunity to open the public portion and thank you mayor for your statement earlier. Um, when I too, as I imagine most of us here tonight, read about the Washington Post article with a town here in Morris County, a neighboring town of
Mount Olive, Roxberry mentioned, as a potential site to warehouse human beings. Um, it raised every hair on the back of my neck. Um, to keep with the three minutes of conversation, and I know there are others here, I would like
to just point out many of us do shop in Roxberry that live around this area. In uh 2024, the New Jersey policy perspective along with the Hispanic State of New Jersey Hispanic Chamber of Commerce found that immigrants make up
22% of the state's population and own 47% of Main Street businesses. advocates who um for immigrants looking to open businesses um are often steered away from that
because of racism and barriers, language barriers that can keep them out of other professional job markets. I know for a fact here in Roxberry that you have many immigrant businesses and businesses that are owned by immigrants and it's
important that we continue to see that your community supports all of the people who live here. Um it is viewed as a welcoming community and I encourage you to keep your commitment to transparency
and to have no ICE federal warehouse in this township. Thank you. >> Good evening. Um, Jennifer Marquesy, 578 US Highway 46, apartment E in Kendall 07847.
Um, I am morally opposed to some of the actions that are happening with ICE. However, I am not here to challenge you guys right now because I know all this information is new. I'm here to pose three questions
that I do not need an answer to tonight. I just need to know that you're thinking about them. First of all, my first question is, can the federal government force this upon us without our consent?
That is my first question. And I don't know the answer to that because I'm not a lawyer. Second question, if the federal government throws enough money at this town to make it seem like a lucrative deal,
is the town willing to take the money as opposed to the will of the people as to whether or not we want this? So in the circumstance that either the government forces us to do this or that
we decide to do this because it will be a financial boon to the community. Can we in some way provide some oversight and some protections for the human
beings who will be detained in that facility to maintain their due process rights to remain to to retain their civil rights to remain their human dignity rights?
And can we protect the people that we detain here in Roxbury if we have to do this from harm? Because I cannot be a party
to human rights violations and I will stand with every fiber of my being against harming other humans. So those are my three questions. Do we have to do this? Will money make it
logical? And if it happens, can we protect the detainees? Thank you. [Applause] >> And your answer to number three is no.
Hello, Diana May, 30 Whisper Way East in Bedwood. I um I am not a not in my backyard resident. Rather, I have seen the vile and quite frankly illegal treatment of these migrants over the last several months. In my sister's town
of Neapville, Illinois, ICE officials targeted a group of roofers, kicking down their ladder to trap some on a roof while chasing others down a residential street with their guns drawn. I feel compelled to share that five out of the six roofers had valid work permits, but
that of course was determined after the fact. I do not want masked ICE officials chasing people through neighborhoods. I do not want migrants detained in warehouses. I do not want news crews creating more traffic as they report on protests outside of an ICE detention
center. These should not be occurring anywhere in our country, and I certainly don't want it in my town. When this period in time is looked back on, I would hope that Roxbury Township acted to stand firmly on the right side of history. While I understand that the
township has not received any formal notification, I would like to see this town council act proactively to attempt to block any such plans as were reported in the Washington Post. I would expect opposition to be more effective when implemented proactively as opposed to
reactively after more formal plans are announced. Senator Buco, I read that you reached out to county officials and I thank you for that. Now, I ask that you utilize your contacts in Washington to advocate for our town and for more humane treatment of these migrants. Can
you also please share with us now if and what can be done to oppose these tentative plans? Can the township fight back or is the federal government able to override local municipalities? Thank you.
[Applause] Hello everybody. Uh, my name is Teresa. I'm from Huawei, so not really from here, but I did go snowboarding at Mountain Creek over the weekend, which I didn't realize it was right here. So
anyway, um, yeah. So here to, uh, address what I think the majority of people here to address. Um yeah, I think the question around um what I guess jurisdiction or what
involvement the town has in allowing something like that to come. I think that's a valid you know concern. Do you have any uh I guess influence on that? Hopefully you do because if you do then I do think it's like a no-brainer to not
allow something like that to come. Um, people don't feel safe with something like that around. That's just common sense, right? Families, people walking around. You don't want agents walking around your neighborhood. Nobody likes that. Um, it's
even just the perception of it. It's going to make your town look unsafe. Then people are not going to move in. Investment is not going to come in. So, you know, there's that. Um, there is the moral point obviously, too. We know that uh the way that this uh department is
working in a way that's not fair to human beings. So that's a huge problem, right? You're allowing an agency to continue doing uh basically whatever they want without due process.
We know that as a fact. That's indisputable. Um so yeah. Um and then I would say also this idea about uh warehouse using a warehouse um I don't understand the efficiency of
that also if we want to talk about that uh to make a warehouse be uh able to have uh human services in a way that is um safe. The amount of time it would take to change everything in the
warehouse, right? because that's not designed to actually have human beings um have services there. Uh I don't think that there's enough time to really turn that around. We know that Delaney Hall and Newark, for instance, opened without
permits. To this day, they do not have permits. >> What business operates without permits? Like that makes no sense, right? >> Um so yeah, it's just common sense. Even forget morality, it's just common sense. you you can't operate a business without
permits and that's what this agency does. So, please think about those kind of uh grounded things. Um and and the safety thing. People don't want people don't want this. They don't do anything for the community in a productive way.
Um let's focus on putting in more schools or providing mental health services. So, [Applause] Good evening everybody. Uh my name is Luis Alstrad. I live in uh 615 East Veil
Road here in London. Um I just moved from Nortown. I used to live in Nortown for many years. Um and I'm here because I'm very concerned about what I heard uh that they want to bring ice uh gel to the township. Um, I
think I live in a in a great place. I think this is very very nice uh township. Um, I'm a single mother of three children and I'm an immigrant myself. I've been I moved here um around 37 years ago and I can tell you
firsthand how hard it is to succeed in this country and how much we have to work for it. I just bought my house three years ago and I've been working night off to buy my house. Um I don't want to see I don't want to see my
people and other people because I'm I'm Hispanic. I'm um originally from Mexico. Uh but I seen uh outrageous things happening to immigrants. I don't believe that what uh
you know other people said about immigrants not everybody is bad not everybody is uh criminals. I know that we could find that on every ethnicity but not everybody who comes here is uh it's like that. So I wouldn't I wouldn't
like to see a jail here. So, I will appreciate transparency from you guys and if you can keep us um informed about what is going on, but I don't think that they need to force us to do something that it's really bad because they're not
only taking criminals. They take in everybody without uh hesitating if they take in pregnant women, children, sick people. Um you know, they don't care. They just don't care. So, I'll
appreciate that. Thank you. >> Hi, good evening. Um, thank you all for the opportunity to speak here tonight. My name is Corey Hervig. Uh, my address is to Kaunga Avenue in Lake Kayawa, which is part of Paripony. Um, Parcipony, in case you don't know, is
about a third immigrant. And I want this council to keep in mind that your decisions regarding an ICE facility in Roxberry will have a pretty dramatic impact on surrounding communities as well. So, I just wanted to say that upfront. Um, aside from the obvious
ethical concerns around warehousing human beings and the disturbing reminiscence to concentration camps, there are serious public safety concerns that this town should consider. Is the town prepared to handle thousands of people and the waste that would ensue
from them being warehoused from a sanitation perspective? Is the town prepared for the emergency services that would be needed to handle such a facility? There were 12 emergency calls in 11 weeks at Delini Hall recently. Is Roxbury emergency services prepared to
handle that without diverting critical emergency services away from its current residents? Is the town prepared to handle protest management? Because you can tell from the turnout here tonight that there will undoubtedly be protests at any proposed
or operating site warehousing human beings in this town. So, as Roxbury prepared for the management of those protests along with the national media attention that will befall the town if this facility comes here, there was a death at Delaney Hall earlier this month along with consistent reporting of human
rights violations at ICE facilities around the country and blatant disregard for due process for months now. I urge you as council members, as the mayor of this town, to use every single tool in your local toolbox to make sure that
this facility does not be established in the town of Roxbury. Thank you. [Applause] >> Um, oh, good evening. My name is Megan Dre. She emailed all of you today. Um,
so hello again. I'm at 10 Hemlock Lane in Flanders, New Jersey, which is Roxberry. Um, I just want to pose one more question similar to what other people have asked. Not looking for an answer now, but not so much what about the safety of the people in this
facility. Obviously, I worry about that. But my question is about what about the safety of anyone who has brown skin in our town? And I don't want to say it like that, but that's I don't want people scared to walk their dogs. I don't want people scared to
bring their kids to school. I don't want to see I want to cry. I don't I have three little kids in this town. I don't want to see ICE immigration at their school. I don't want to see their horseshoe lake. I don't want to see it in the playgrounds. I don't want to see it in my stores. There are people in this community, whether they're legal or
not, and a lot of them are here legally, based on the color of their skin, they're not going to be safe. I don't want to live in a community where people aren't safe. and my kids' friends aren't safe. And that is the one thing I want to bring to everyone else's attention. How do we keep the people in this
community who are already here safe? Thank you. >> Please. >> You're probably better than me. >> Okay. Honorable mayor, honorable council, state senator. Uh, thank you for your time. My name is Guy Citron. I'm uh uh
raised in Morris County, but I currently live out in Hunteran in Tukesbury. And I have some actually good news to share. Um, Kareem Dud, who was held for the past nine months, a resident of Flemington for the past 20 years, has actually just been let free.
[Applause] It begs the question then what was he doing there for nine months? And not just in like some kind of a, you
know, normal jail, in like a normal law enforcement situation, but to the point of the crowd that's speaking to you tonight, no access to medical, limited access to family, maybe no access to a toilet at times. I
mean, I could go on, right? All the while a wife at home who's dealing with cancer, children who are dealing with medical issues as well. If this facility, this warehouse is going to hold thousands of people and process thousands of people, are are you
prepared to answer that legal question to the order of magnitude in the thousands? It it it truly see seems like that's where we're going, not just as a a country, but now on like a township
level. So, I ask you to to to really think deeply about what you're getting yourselves into here. And I I completely understand that, you know, you're you weren't involved and, you know, you're you're reaching out, you're trying to understand the situation, you're gathering information. I
completely respect that. But, you know, I go to land use board meetings like it's uh like I'm watching television. You know, I I go all the time and I hear about home rule and the MLUL like it's uh you know, like it's Monday football or Sunday football, right? So, you you
guys have to have some kind of a say in this. I have to believe that because that's what I see constantly. So, please do your best. We want to be on your side. We all want to be on the right side of history. >> Please help. Hi. Um, hi. My name is Sierra Wilson. I
live in Bud Lake in the Village Marine Apartments. So, basically your neighbor. I used to live in Stanh Hope. So, also basically your neighbor. Um, and I came here today because this is not just a Roxberry issue. This is an issue that's
going to affect all of New Jersey, possibly Pennsylvania, New York, and a ton of other locations. Um, and I, like you, I'm a government employee, so I hear things late and I hear things through the media like you all do. So, I understand that there's no statement or
uh no news at this time other than what we all read on the Washington Post. But, I come here today just to remind everyone um and to remind you all uh the council and the mayor uh that this is your responsibility to make a statement
against this against the inhumane and downright illegal uh actions. But I mean so I understand that the council at this time does not have uh a statement other than what was presented but each of you have a responsibility to protect your constituents regardless of their skin
color regardless of their country of origin. Uh, a lot of people do come here legally and illegally and they are still paying taxes. They are still shopping at local businesses. They are still paying rent or mortgages in your town. These are your neighbors. These are your
constituents. These are your friends, your relatives. These are not just what the media and what uh the administration is painting them as. These are your friends. Um, these are your neighbors. These are people, human beings. And so I
think it is your responsibility uh not just as councilmen and women and the mayor uh to make a statement on behalf of the county but yourselves individually. So, I would really respect and expect for you all to do as much as you possibly can uh meeting with
Congress, well, meeting with Congress, writing letters to Congress, anything you could possibly do to prevent this from happening because this is this is just unethical, immoral, and as many people have presented today, illogical. Thank you. [Applause]
Hi, my name is Quashina Williams. Um, long time resident of Hakong, New Jersey, right here on the border. Um, I raised my kids here. Um, been here quite a long time. I, like most of the people, read
the same article about this facility. um given the conditions at Delaney Hall and the concerns there. Um a lot of people don't know this, but my ex-husband is
uh green card holder from Great Britain, >> right? I'm a black woman, but very ambiguous, right? Green eyes. I probably look Puerto Rican, Dominican, but I'm a black
We have a lot of kids from Hapaccom, right, in this school district. So, it's important for me to come here tonight, you know, to bring awareness to you guys about harassing these people. I don't, as a
black woman, we get pulled over enough. My husband being a black man from Great Britain or ex-husband, but from Great Britain, I don't want him harassed. I don't want him locked up in a facility. I don't want my kids who have been
raised in this community for 25 years to worry about their father who lives right here in Netcon being locked up. It's a big fear. He doesn't even leave the house anymore for fear of being pulled over and harassed. I can't even imagine what the kids are
going to have to deal with in the school system. That's not something that I want here in my community. That's not something that I want around my friends and my family that I've lived around for years. They they they are good
upstanding citizens. They hold jobs. They are they contribute to the community. I can't even imagine the fear level of bringing it here. We've got so many other issues that we can deal with. This is this is not something that we
want. You know, my kids went to St. There's kids at St. Theres. Are they going to come in there and harass those kids and those families? >> Wow. >> Wow. >> I implore you to please reconsider. I don't know if what power
you guys have, but I'm sure it's more than me as a simple resident of this community to stop this. Pass a vote. do whatever you need to do, >> right? >> But don't let this happen to the people that you guys live around with, that I
live around, that we all live around. >> So, and that's all I really have to say. I didn't really have a great sponsor, anything. Hello, my name is Julie Marino. Uh, I grew up in Morris County, but I live in New York. I am the New Jersey state captain of American Families United. We
are US citizens with undocumented spouses. Um I've been married to my spouse almost nine years. Nine years in January and he self-deported two months ago. He has to be outside the country 10 years before he can apply again. But
that aside, we are seeing this government take people who are in status >> and put them out of status. >> This has nothing to do with on order at all. This is >> this is racist and it's also about making money.
>> Now, I'm sure some people may I I I didn't get here as early as some people, so I know some already contributed, but the article, the Washington Post article, um the quote that was given by Ted Lions
was in regard to these hubs and this one Roxberry's proposed location. Uh, we need to get better at treating this like a business, acting director Ted M. Lions of ICE said, according to the Arizona Mirror, the administration's
goal, he said, was to deport immigrants as efficiently as Amazon moves packages, >> like crime, but with human beings. This is what we're talking about. This is completely inhumane. We are seeing this get worse and worse
and worse every day. This is going to be on record because We had in World War II concentration camps here. So, we can't say we don't know what's going on. We have a choice right now on how we're going to act in this state.
We know that this is proposed and whether they've come to you or not, I'm asking you to please go to the US government, go to ICE, go to DHS and ask them about it and tell them that we don't want this here and we are going to show up. Um,
in Chicago where they recently had a big immigration crackdown, they arrested, I believe it was over 4,500 people, 1.5% less than 1.5 had criminal histories. >> Wow.
the racial profiling which has now been legalized by the Supreme Court. >> We are seeing reports over and over again and in Fairview, New Jersey where ICE is riding up and down the street, stopping at bus stops, >> excuse me,
to detain people. So nowhere along what is happening today are we seeing anything that looks like law and order. None of this has to do with criminals being detained because we're actually seeing ICE and DHS take
resources away from violent criminals to have these patrols out on the street. 350,000 US citizens live in mixed status families. This is not just groups of people that we think are not associated with us or
that live there and do that thing. This is New Jersey. A quarter of our population are immigrants. 500,000 at least undocumented. They work. They contribute. They are part of this state.
Where I live, uh I'm sorry, I'm probably running over. I'll wrap up right now. But where I live in New York, you cannot walk down the street and and un know who's an immigrant, who's not. >> You cannot tell. So when they come to New Jersey, and they will come,
we need to do something to push back because we cannot allow this to happen. Not only if if you don't care about the human rights violations, this is going to crumble our state >> personally, the impact that it has on me to know every day, oh, I'm driving around, I'm going to go home. He's not
going to be there every day. It's like a punch in the stomach on what it has done to me personally and my family. And now we're gonna see 350,000 other US citizen residents in New Jersey get ripped apart as well. >> Thank you. >> Thank you.
>> Hi, good afternoon. My name is Jackie Sapada and I'm a Roxbury resident. I live in Saka Senna. Um, so I just want to hear um the same course just talk about against um this proposal or this idea of having a detention facility here
in Roxberry. Um, I just want to say first of all, you I know that um in January and February when our community fear increased, I know that the Roxbury school district hosted a know your rights training um at the Roxbury Library. And I was very surprised and I
commended the school district for doing that because I know there are other school districts in this area who have not been willing to open their doors to do that. Um, and having, you know, this kind of facility here would really just bring fear into our community. We know
um and you know facts have shown that where these facilities exist, it's just easier to pick up community members and put them in these facilities. Um I've grown up in Morris County my whole life. I've been living in Roxberry for the last four years. I take my son to the
Roxberry library and you know we walk around, we see the ESL classes going on um and just the diversity, the diversity that now Roxberry has and these facilities would really just um take that away from our community, they would just install fear here in Roxberry. So,
you know, I know that although um the articles say that the town hasn't formally heard about this, I hope that when you do um get that phone call, when you do see that attractive offer to have a facility here, you remember your constituents, you remember myself, a
Roxbury resident, um a a daughter of formerly undocumented immigrants, saying that we don't stand for this. Um, Roxbury should not have these facilities here um because of what they stand for, because of how inhumane they are. And I know you have all heard of it. I'm sure
I just got here. I'm sure you all have heard about the death at the Laney Hall, but we don't want this here in Roxberry. Thank you. >> Good evening. I'm Adam McGovern. live at uh 87 St. John's Avenue in Mount Table which is part of Paripony. Uh not a resident here. So I thank you for your
welcome. Uh and I uh think that that really needs to be extended to all the people uh within the the bounds of this town. Uh like Corey was saying, I'm in a town uh that is over 30% uh immigrant. It's South Asian for the most part. And um that is the group that is the second
biggest uh population of undocumented folks. Uh and um there's no way that if this facility gets built there not going to be thugs roaming the street in masks unaccountable uh indiscriminate in my town and destroying the economy and the fabric of
our community. So I really need you to consider that. Now I believe that you have heard nothing from the federal government and I think that gives you a good preview of the level of respect that you can expect from this federal government and the level of regard that they will
have for human life. uh speaker before mentioned that they have literally uh stated human trafficking as their business model and their policy. So there is no to the point of uh somebody else's question there is no protecting the people who disappear into this
goolog. Um and the only protection is uh you know going to come beforehand. So I hope that you will be proactive uh if they didn't tell you anything you have to tell them where you stand, what you stand for, who you're representing and who you really are. Um, you know, we've
talked about the costs, the, uh, extra wastewater, the utilities. Um, I'd also like to consider the liability. Um, you know, at the beginning of this year, New York paid out 92 million in, um, wrongful detention claims, and that was from Obama. Uh, so if that was during
him, imagine what you're going to be paying out for these guys who smash car windows, you know, single moms where there's a baby in the back seat. You know, it's going to be a nightmare and could bankrupt you. But what we really need to consider is the cost to our souls in this life at the ballot box and
in the next. So I hope that you will keep that in mind that it will keep you up at night and you know that you will uh uh act accordingly uh so that we can all sleep easier. Thanks. [Applause]
an honorable member of the township of Roxbury and I've been a resident of the town for more than 20 years. >> I pay taxes your name and address for the record.
>> Adriana Medina and I live in Navy. Next one. my first um upbringing upbringing in the American traditional values
came from my father-in-law who fought in Normandy almost lost his life there for the liberation of France. He will die again to see what is
happening to this country. Not to the people but to the values of these people. Every single one of you that are allowing the travesty of the values of freedom
and liberty to be embroiled on the losing of the civil rights of human beings. This should not even be a issue whether we want a detention center for human
beings or not. You're conscious. Every single one of you were raised in those values. You are older than me. All of you are older than me.
I learned that from a wonderful patriotic human being who was willing to give his life for this country when he was just a teenager.
I have a teenager now and his values out of this town. His values are out of this country. Why are we allowing this to happen to
our country? Why? I know conscious your conscience shouldn't be for Your bio shouldn't be for sale. They are people that we know out there
going with mask breaking people's dreams breaking their promise to the land. For what? I tell you for what? $50,000
bought a conscious $50,000 makes a person go out with a mask playing right here breaking families apart
destroying this beautiful country we had. Why you are going to even discuss if this is about money? This town should not sell their values to money.
How much money is going to buy your conscious? How much money is going to buy your values? I love that you all are here without a mask facing your representatives.
All the people I love you. We all love you. We all have had you supporting us. You and you and you. We have seen you all the time. We love you. All of you.
We want to continue supporting you. Thank you very much. Hi, my name is Veronica Fernandez. I'm at 157 Bartley Road over in Long Valley, Morris County. And um thank you for doing this tonight and listening to all of us. Um I'm sitting here and I'm listening. And behind you, I see the
logo of the canoe, the TP, and the little fire of what this looked like at one time. And then I sat here and I involved it in my mind and I'm thinking, are you going to change it to a detention center with like ICE parading
immigrants up to that, you know, like that's beautiful as it is. And and I think of how we came here. All of us are immigrants one way or another. And it's just that we, you know, we're the typical white
generic immigrant who came legally. Um, we didn't come legally initially or we made the laws that made it legal. Um, reminds me of Anne Frank. Anne Frank wasn't, you know, protecting her was not legal. And, um, these are these are
people. These are humans. Um, and it is just by chance that we are in this spot and they are in that spot. It was just fake, the cards, whatever. I don't know. I know people who are undocumented and they're good, decent, honest people and
And I and I can't and I know they're terrified. And um I I I look at that picture and I just feel, oh my god, could you imagine if we were treated the way that we're treating people? If we were not allowed to come here, if we were if our ancestors were turned back and um I just hope that you have some
conscience. I know you have conscience. I don't mean to insult you. I know you have conscience. But to be on the right side of things, an election have consequences. And here we are now. And this is not where we want to be. And I don't think that's where you want to be either. So please just take it heart and and and look at people. Thank you.
[Applause] >> Good evening. I'm Susan Sarakov. I live in Kenville. Um look look at your name plates. Murphy Hall, Alrech, Crowley, Fatillo,
Riley, Defilippo, Carrie, Reed. Um, your families all came from other places. And as people prior to me have indicated, we made those laws after we
came here. In 1909, my family came here from what was then Imperial Russia, um, what's now known as Ukraine. They were escaping the pograms,
and they found a better life here. In World War II, my great uncle went back to Europe to fight and he was killed there. He was guarding Nazis.
He was guarding Nazis when he was killed. Okay? A bomb hit the building that they were holding the Nazis in. Think about that. So when I hear about the fact that
people are going to be swept up, I know that people who were related to me who were still in Kiev and other parts of the Ukraine and
were either killed there or shipped to the uh concentration camps. They all went through processing centers. Whether those processing centers are killing people or not, they're part
of that system. They were part of that system. And what we're looking at with deaths in the detention centers here, it makes the people who are doing it no better than the Nazis. Okay? I don't want to be part
of that morally or in any other way. When my people said never again, they didn't just mean the Jewish people. They meant anyone anywhere. So, I know that you don't have the
information yet, but I hope that you will stand up against it when that time comes, if it comes. Thank you. I'm sorry. We're only allowed one one session.
>> You are correct. Thank you. >> I'm finishing my eighth year on town council amendment. So, >> I don't know if you want to come back and talk >> and please come to one of my meetings. Um, anyway, I'll introduce myself again. I'm Alia Edwarte, 22 Brockton Drive in
Mendum Township. Uh, and I didn't see anybody else coming up, so I just wanted to add an additional comment. Um, so I'm actually a first generation American. My folks came here from the Dominican Republic, uh, seeking a better life for their family. And, um, we we all got
that, you know, God bless my parents. We we I've had a great life here and raising my kids here and and as have my siblings as well. Um, We've all been successful. Knock on wood. Um, when you get elected to a whether it's a township committee or state assembly or or what
have you, you don't know what's coming, right? I remember when I first got elected and it was an upset victory. So, I really didn't think I was going to win, but I remember waking up the next day and, you know, getting my coffee and thinking, "What the blank now? What do I do now?" And you just don't know what's
going to come down the pike. You have no idea, right? And so you just need to be prepared and do your homework and talk to people and listen to your constituents. Um, and I often get asked by folks um nowadays like who should I vote for? Who should I support at all different levels? Uh, even school board,
believe it or not. And you know, we talk about issues, but one thing I always reinforce to anyone who asks me is um it's about character. You know, at the end of the day, it it's about character because you don't know what you're going to have to deal with. And you want with
integrity, with character, who have strong values, values you share, and who are courageous enough to do the right thing. And I can tell you, it's not always easy. I know that firsthand. It is not always easy to take a vote that
maybe your colleagues don't agree with. Uh to support something that maybe not everybody supports, go out on that limb. I've been out there and guess watch it get saw off. Um, but it's important to stick with your values and your character and and and I often think back to, you know, when I first got uh sworn
in and my son holding the Bible, you know, the family Bible and and I have that photo. It's in my head, but I also have the photo and the look on his face and how proud he was of me. So, um, think about that as as you move forward. I want to give you a lot of credit for, you know, opening it up to the public
because I know your agenda originally did not have open to the public. So, I commend you for doing that and for listening to everybody this evening, whether from the community or from out of town. This will affect all of our Morris County. Um, you know, I live nine miles up the road. Like I said, I'm here
quite a bit to go shopping. Um, and so it's going to affect us. It's going to also affect neighborhoods and and the fear that people have and and business people. There was just an incident in Chester where a a local beloved business person was um picked up and deported and
his whole family decided to to go back to their country because they wanted to be with him. Um we're living in tough times, but uh I I actually trust that all of you are going to do the right thing. I really do. I can just see that. I see that in your eyes and I see that in the reactions that you've had this
evening. I really think you're going to. We believe in home rule in New Jersey, right? Let's stand up for that and let's stand up for our values. So, thank you. >> Hi, my name is Kathy Olirri. I'm the New Jersey region coordinator for Pox Christie USA. Um, I represent or we
represent the international Catholic peace movement in the United States. Uh we are also >> uh I live in Long Hill Township. Uh I um uh our organization is part of probably 30 organizations that are currently
vigiling outside of Don Hall. We've been there since the end of April every single day. We are there now not just to protest the facility. We are there now to provide services for the people who are coming to visit their loved ones.
The people who are coming to visit their loved ones, these are the exact people that you want as your neighbors, as your citizens. The love that they have for the people who are detained inside is something you
really have to witness. And I invite you all to come to the waning hall during visit hours if you want to see what will happen if a detention facility comes to your your town. People will stand literally on a metal
fence topped with concertina wire during a thunder and lightning storm because they are afraid if they get off of a line they will not get in to see their loved one. They might only get in to see their loved one for 15 minutes, but they will stand there for seven or more hours
in the blazing hot sun when it was 100° out. And currently, right now, as we speak, there's visiting hours at Delaney Hall and we have volunteers there providing hot coffee and hot chocolate, blankets, mittens because people are waiting outside.
Those people include elderly people. They include children. They include babies. They include disabled children. This is a horror show. This is a disaster. This is what will be coming here. Please
do not kid yourselves. It will not be different. The person who died in Delaney Hall, his name was Jean Wilson Brris. We don't know how he died. His family doesn't know how he died. Our Volunteers were
there that night and we watched as the facility prioritized a transport van of people that they were sending to a far away place either to be deported or to a detention facility somewhere else over bringing the ambulance in to
provide care to Mr. Curtis. That is what you have. You have an opportunity now. The chances are that the federal government is not going to do this themselves, that they're going going to contract this out to an independent
contractor. That independent contractor will be subject to your zoning laws. You have an opportunity now to make private prisons, to make ICE detention facilities an uncommitted use.
[Applause] And I suggest that you speak with the attorney general and the solicitor general because they have briefed extensively and researched extensively
what uh local governments can do in terms of oversight once that facility is built. And I'll answer that a couple people who have answer asked that question before. Once that facility is built, you have absolutely no oversight over it. None. Not anything.
Excuse [Applause] me. My name is Kathy Richie. I live at Fort
Lmberg Lane in Sakasana. I have nothing prepared tonight, but I just wanted to say um I actually I used to work for Habitat for Humanity. Um and I was there when we built the project on Main Street. It
we've done such great things here with Habitat in Roxbury Township. I'm a proud citizen of Roxbury Township and when I heard this news, I felt compelled to come here tonight with some of my
neighbors to express my absolute heartbreak and distress about this. I'm not going to get into all my uh uh concerns about the politics right now
in our country. Um but I think it would be a stain on our township. It would be a stain on the county and the community. We need to live together without fear
and in safety all of our neighbors without being afraid of who could be around the corner to haul us away. Uh and that's all I have to say.
[Applause] Hello. Um, I'm Terry Seuss. I live in Union, New Jersey. And I drove up here today uh because I heard about this. I read the article and I've been uh down in Delaney Hall since before it opened.
And that movement has grown to be hundreds of people from across the United States. And when I drove into your parking lot tonight, I was like, what's their issue? And and then I found out everybody is here for the ICE jail, you know, which is tremendous and a
testament to the heart of New Jersey really. And if you all are elected officials and want to do something great, you can pass some initiative or some referendum or some uh law tonight that says you don't welcome an ICE jail
here. >> You know, let's get that on the record. Uh Delaney Delaney Hall is kind of ground zero for the ICE arrests and deport detentions and deportation machine that's being put into place.
Your town is kind of ground zero too because this is the very first place where that big beautiful bill where they passed billions of dollars for ICE agents, the total amount is 172 billion
for more ICE agents and of that 42 billion for more ICE jails. So, this is no joke. And they are moving. And they plan not only to put 1,500 people here in Roxberry. They plan to put 5,000
people, 10,000 people at five other locations. Let that sink in. This is a goolog. This is this is grotesque. And if we don't stand up and start saying now, we will not be able to say
anything in five years. Now is the time for people to be speaking up about this. >> Now is the time. So I I really thank you for having this meeting, but more I thank all the people who are filling this room. You all are
tremendous and we need you down at Delaney Hall. We're there every day. We need more people there every day. We're called Eyes on Ice. What we do is watch. We watch them. We listen to the families who are going to visit. We listen to what the detainees are going through.
The stories would appall you. The lack of medical care, the danger to people for being in that facility. Come down, come and see Delaney Hall. And then, you know, pass some powerful powerful local
legislation that says you do not want that in your town. We do not want that in New Jersey. In fact, we are going to close Delaney Hall. Delany Hall needs to be closed immediately sooner rather than later. Not in three
years, not in five years, not in the 15-year contract that the private GEO group has to collect a billion dollars there. No, not in 15 years. This facility needs to be closed. The medical care is abominable. The food is
abominable. The guard's treatment is abominable. And it is a horrible place for people. And the people who are locked up there, 90% of them, I would say maybe 70% 80% however they're going
through their logical immigration process >> and they're picked up at ICE check-ins. In fact, in one case, ICE called the family and said, you know, your check-in is not until next year, but you can come early.
Yeah, they came early and they were arrested. >> They're in jail. So, you have a big job to do. Don't take it lightly. And thank you for listening. >> All right, I'm going to close public now.
Good evening. My name is George Sidener. I live at 34 original Avenue in Madison, New Jersey. And I wasn't going to come but my daughter couldn't come to say daddy go do us over there. So I'm a member of win the spirits organization been in around for 25 years and we have
been working to work on changing the conversation of immigration not to where we are now but even where we were before wasn't good. So I guess everybody spoke about everything that we have to talk about it. I would just urge you to be the first town, the first
township of Roxbury to put in paper that you don't want ICE here. That's if we all did that, ICE would have gone. >> This is an institution that should have been gone a long time ago. >> A long time ago. And the reason because
we didn't do what we had to do in the Obama time, the Clinton time, all that kind of time, we're dealing with now. >> Now is the time to get rid of it. Okay? Using masks and doing this kind of stuff is totally absurd. Anyone in the right
set of minds would say, "How can that be?" But that's what we are. So I urge you to do what I'm hoping you're going to do, which is say we don't want to hear. And that trickle effect goes around the whole New Jersey. I hope the whole country says >> you all got to stop with this.
>> And by the way, I'm an immigrant >> and I was undocumented, too, even though I'm not black. >> Okay? So, I had a few privileges when I was around. But for seven years, I was scared of being stopped because I could have been detained and being put in one
of these boxes back then. And now, 40 years here, I work for the federal government, believe it or not. Okay? So, of course, I'm a citizen. My daughter got up when she was a little kid. We were scared already. And she was scared. Are you going to be taken away?
Because we were going around on those other years we thought were bad but were better than this. >> And she was scared that her parents were going to be deported. Her mother from Colombia wasn't documented. Her father from Brazil wasn't documented. So this is something that it doesn't stay with a
skin of your color. It's a nightmare. And I suppose that we can ask you even though you are not a representative in my town, you represent me because I live in New Jersey and if this facility comes here, I'm affected. So make that make
this the step of saying that you don't support this and I'll work on my town medicine to make sure they do that, too. [Applause]
I lost my voice. I'm a little sick of My name is Alexander Stevenson. I'm from 49 from Arlington, New Jersey. I grew up in Sussex County. I moved to Morris County. This is not us. We don't want this here.
Please. I am second generation American. My father was born in Germany, a Russian whose father was in concentration camp because that was the world back then. My father grew up in a refugee camp, moved to
America, 13, served the army. My uncle served the army. My mother, Puerto Rican, colonized. I have no home in this government's eyes. I'm a piece of garbage in the ocean and I'm a Russian
descent. And then they offer to take away our status. It's terrifying what they're doing. They are terrifying people who are so fortunate and privileged like me who are white passing and who cannot see my descent. And we're frightened.
And there are people out there hiding, hiding. And they have the paperwork and the right to be here. And they don't want to be bullied. And they have no they should have no reason to fear. We don't want this here. We are better than this. We care for one another. Jersey
cares. I thought I thought that the representation of the county. And I thought that the people were here to take care of one another. Isn't that what government supposed to do? Aren't we here to be community? What are you thinking to attack and to
lock people up? What is wrong with this thinking? gets sick and it's ruling us and it's so powerful and we feel so unheard. Please hear us. We could start the new year right and say not here. We
are better than this. We are community and we're here to take care of one another. Those of us that are isolated reach out for connection and you're out there chasing people back in. What is wrong? We're better than this. Please
don't allow us here. [Applause] >> All right, I'm going to close public a motion to >> second.
>> Thank you everyone. [Applause] Hi, I'm