Never fear: Phil Murphy, defender of the downtrodden, is here!
Embattled New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy recently suggested he and his taxpayer-funded security detail may have thwarted Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents from arresting illegal immigrants congregating near his $10 million Middletown mansion.
“There was a time when ICE was just randomly showing up on street corners and apprehending … brothers and sisters from the immigrant community,” Murphy said in press conference held a day after President Trump’s election victory.
He claimed he caught wind of a neighborhood that was “at-risk” of an immigration enforcement sweep, and that he put himself — and his New Jersey State Police bodyguards — between authorities and illegal migrants.
“I just went there one night with my [security] detail and just hung out there,” he said, adding that federal agents never showed up.
“Whether that scared them off or not I don’t know, but it’s an example of a small step that we’re willing to try anything if it’s contrary to our values,” he said.
In the same news conference, Murphy vowed the Garden State would “fight to the death” to impede Trump’s illegal immigration crackdown, while leaving the door open a hair’s breadth by promising to seize “common ground” should an opportunity arise.
The boast is another instance of the second-term Democrat engaging in anti-ICE puffery to curry favor with supporters.
He’s currently under fire after he suggested last week that he was harboring an illegal immigrant his home.
The admission came during an interview at a public forum at at Montclair State University, where he brazenly dared feds to “come and get her” to applause from the audience.
His reps attempted to walk back his comments, which drew swift condemnation from political adversaries, as well as the attention of Trump’s border czar Tom Homan, who said on Fox News’ “Hannity” Monday that prosecution could be on the table.
“If he’s knowingly harboring and concealing an illegal alien, that’s a violation of Title 8, United States Code 1324. I will seek prosecution or the secretary will seek prosecution,” Homan said.
“Maybe he’s bluffing. If he’s not, we’ll deal with that,” Homan added. “It’s a foolish thing what he said, because I got note of it, won’t let it go, will look into it.”
Murphy’s office didn’t respond to The Post’s request for comment.
Additional reporting by Carl Campanile.
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