Bergen Democrat Commissioners need to stop acting like Essex County Commissioners and support law enforcement

For Immediate Release
October 10, 2025

Bergen County, NJ— The Bergen County Republican candidates for County Commissioners are calling on residents to demand the incumbent Democrat county commissioners turn their back on Gov. Phil Murphy’s state legislation that would allow illegal immigrants in New Jersey to continue to receive taxpayer funded services and would prohibit local law enforcement agencies from providing assistance to federal immigration authorities.

The legislation (S-3672) – has already received unanimous support by the Essex County Commissioners last month (September), according to published reports.

The Republican Bergen County Commissioner candidates Jay Costa, John Dinice and Andrea Slowikowski — say that Murphy’s liberal supporters are trying to push through the radical immigrant legislation in the waning days of Murphy’s term in office – a term marked by excessive spending and kowtowing to the demands of the Democrat Party’s far left wing.  Murphy has endorsed the 2025 Democrat commissioner candidates seeking re-election in Bergen County. 

“Undoubtedly, the Bergen Commissioners will do what the Essex Commissioners did and cave in to the demands of Gov. Murphy and the radical wing of the Democrat Party that does not want to see law enforcement agencies take dangerous illegal immigrants off our streets,” said Jay Costa, a business man from River Vale.

“My running mates are opposed to Gov. Murphy’s continuing support of illegal immigrants at the expense of U.S. citizens. Unlike the Bergen commissioners, who have a history of catering to the demands of illegal immigrant activists, we will stand up for American citizens and taxpayers,” added Costa.    

In 2021, the all-Democrat Bergen County Board of Commissioners – including the three commissioners currently seeking re-election: Tom Sullivan, Mary Amoroso and Germaine Ortiz – caved in to the demands of Gov Murphy’s pro-illegal immigrant activists and voted to end the county’s long-standing contract with the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to house illegal aliens in the county jail. That agreement brought $17 million annually into the county’s coffers.

The Murphy Administration legislation dubbed the Immigrant Trust Act (ITA), argues that the cost to county, and municipal law enforcement agencies assisting federal immigration authorities outweighs the cost of getting dangerous illegals off the streets. But, Dinice of Mahwah said the Democrat legislation fails to mention the billions of taxpayer dollars that New Jersey has been spending on illegal immigrants since President Biden’s Administration opened the flood gates at America’s southern border.

A 2025 America First Policy Institute study says undocumented immigrants and their children cost New Jersey $5.3 billion, primarily for education, healthcare, and services.

“Thanks to liberal Phil Murphy and the leftist Democrats, New Jersey taxpayers are spending billions of dollars on illegal aliens when that money could go to supporting our schools and our veterans,” says Denice, a member of the Mahwah Board of Education.

“I urge county residents to go to our Facebook page and leave a message letting the Bergen County Commissioners know that you do not want to see the Immigration Trust Act passed into law in the waning days of Gov. Murphy’s historically wasteful administration,” added Denice. (see Facebook Post here)

Slowikowski, a Demarest councilwoman, says the Bergen Democrat Commissioners have gleefully accepted the endorsement of Gov. Murphy for re-election this year, “which I am sure they will repay by supporting the incredibly costly and dangerous Immigration Trust Act  We want taxpayers to know unlike our opponents we do not support ITA, which if passed, will ensure that millions of  tax dollars will go on supporting illegal aliens for years to come and further tie the hands of law enforcement in the apprehension of illegal aliens.”

Slowikowski added that: “Phil Murphy has punished taxpayers with record setting increases in state spending just as the Bergen County Commissioners have given us the highest budgets in county history. Bergen taxpayers cannot afford to have our county and state officials continue to pander to the radical Democrat illegal-alien activists who want to make it more attractive for illegals to come to New Jersey.”

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