Latest news with #MattPlatkin
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
NJ joins another lawsuit against Trump administration, bringing tally to 33
The new lawsuit alleges the Trump administration is illegally withholding congressionally approved grants for victims of crime. (Photo by) A lawsuit filed by a group of states Monday targeting the Trump administration is the 33rd complaint New Jersey has joined against the administration since Donald Trump retook the White House in January. Attorney General Matt Platkin is among the plaintiffs on lawsuits challenging Trump on everything from his executive order on birthright citizenship to funding conditions for transportation grants to data on food stamp recipients. The newest lawsuit seeks to block a Trump administration move stripping more than $1 billion in federal aid from states that shield undocumented immigrants from detention and deportation. The funds are intended for victims and survivors of crime, to pay for medical and burial expenses, advocacy services, emergency shelters, and more. Platkin, who has been criticized by New Jersey Republicans for his lawsuits against the Trump administration, said Monday the claims in the latest complaint against the White House show the administration doesn't really care about the public safety of people who are victims and survivors of sexual violence, domestic violence, gun violence, sexual abuse, and more. 'They try to find political pawns to force states and cities to change their policies in ways that they can't win through the political process,' he said. The complaint, filed in federal court in Rhode Island, argues that the administration's move to block funds approved as part of the Victims of Crime Act 'runs headlong into two basic principles of American governance: separation of powers and federalism.' The Victims of Crime Act was enacted in 1984 under President Ronald Reagan after a presidential task force concluded that the criminal justice system was wrongfully neglecting crime victims, according to the complaint. California Attorney General Rob Bonta, who also joined Monday's lawsuit, said the 1984 law was an effort to help states support survivors and witnesses of crime by providing resources to help those in need recover. 'These are individuals who've survived traumatic, tragic, dangerous circumstances and deserve every opportunity to move forward regardless of where they're from,' Bonta said. 'It builds trust between the community and law enforcement that's vital to protecting our public safety, so that when someone does experience or witness a crime, they feel safe to report it to law enforcement without fear of deportation.' Congress has mandated that victim assistance grants distributed pursuant to the law be based on fixed statutory formulas. Since 2020, New Jersey has received $29 million in these funds, the complaint says. Last year, the funds were used to support about 433,000 victims, it says. 'These are not just dollars. They are shelters, they are hotlines, they are funding for rape kits, they are funding for new locks on broken doors, and they are medical expenses,' Delaware Attorney General Kathy Jennings said. The Trump administration has made it a priority to detain and deport millions of undocumented immigrants, and has threatened to withhold other federal grants to try to force states to withdraw any orders that provide sanctuary to undocumented immigrants. New Jersey's Immigrant Trust Directive, unveiled in 2018, restricts cooperation between local law enforcement and federal immigration agents. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Solve the daily Crossword
Boston Globe
10-07-2025
- Politics
- Boston Globe
New Hampshire judge to hear arguments on class action against Trump's birthright citizenship order
Advertisement At issue is the Constitution's 14th Amendment, which states: 'All persons born or naturalized in the United States and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States.' The Trump administration says the phrase 'subject to the jurisdiction thereof' means the U.S. can deny citizenship to babies born to women in the country illegally, ending what has been seen as an intrinsic part of U.S. law for more than a century. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up 'Prior misimpressions of the citizenship clause have created a perverse incentive for illegal immigration that has negatively impacted this country's sovereignty, national security, and economic stability,' government lawyers wrote in the New Hampshire case. 'The Constitution does not harbor a windfall clause granting American citizenship to … the children of those who have circumvented (or outright defied) federal immigration laws.' Advertisement Legal battles continue in multiple states Several federal judges have issued nationwide injunctions stopping Trump's order from taking effect, but the U.S. Supreme Court limited those injunctions in a June 27 ruling that gave lower courts 30 days to act. With that time frame in mind, opponents of the change quickly returned to court to try to block it. New Jersey and the more than dozen states joining its case in Massachusetts federal court have asked the judge to determine if the nationwide injunction in their case could still apply under the high court's ruling. The judge has scheduled a hearing for July 18. 'Everybody knows there's a 30-day clock, so our hope is that we get an answer prior to the end of the 30-day clock,' New Jersey Attorney General Matt Platkin told The Associated Press in a recent interview. In a Washington state case before the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, the judges have asked the parties to write briefs explaining the effect of the Supreme Court's ruling. Washington and the other states in that lawsuit have asked the appeals court to return the case to the lower court judge. As in New Hampshire, the plaintiff in a Maryland seeks to organize a class-action lawsuit that includes every person who would be affected by the order. The judge set a Wednesday deadline for written legal arguments as she considers the request for another nationwide injunction from CASA, a nonprofit immigrant rights organization. Ama Frimpong, legal director at CASA, said the group has been stressing to its members and clients that it is not time to panic. 'No one has to move states right this instant,' she said. 'There's different avenues through which we are all fighting, again, to make sure that this executive order never actually sees the light of day.' Advertisement New Hampshire plaintiffs include parents, babies The New Hampshire plaintiffs, referred to only by pseudonyms, include a woman from Honduras who has a pending asylum application and is due to give birth to her fourth child in October. She told the court the family came to the U.S. after being targeted by gangs. 'I do not want my child to live in fear and hiding. I do not want my child to be a target for immigration enforcement,' she wrote. 'I fear our family could be at risk of separation.' Another plaintiff, a man from Brazil, has lived with his wife in Florida for five years. Their first child was born in March, and they are in the process of applying for lawful permanent status based on family ties — his wife's father is a U.S. citizen. 'My baby has the right to citizenship and a future in the United States,' he wrote. Catalini reported from Trenton, New Jersey.
Politico
08-07-2025
- Politics
- Politico
Platkin enters the battle for Cherry Hill
Good Tuesday morning! Attorney General Matt Platkin is weighing in on the fight to fill Cherry Hill's 71 vacant Democratic committee seats. And here's a shocker: It's not on the South Jersey Democratic machine's side. Platkin filed a motion to intervene Monday in favor of the South Jersey Progressive Democrats, who won a shocking landslide victory in last month's Democratic primary, when their slate of just three candidates for Democratic committee in Camden County's largest town beat the full slate of 74 backed by the Camden County Democrats. The Camden County Democratic Committee is suing and convinced a judge to block the progressives from filling the seats ahead of a court date on Friday. But Platkin's office says there's no ambiguity about the law for filling vacancies: It's up to the elected county committee members to do it. He accused the Camden County Democrats of trying to 'rewrite the rules of the election after the rules were already set.' I try not to assume readers' knowledge about political relationships, but if you're an even semi-regular reader you don't need me to explain the state of affairs between Platkin and the Camden County Democrats' unofficial boss, George Norcross. But from my non-lawyer's perspective, Platkin and the South Jersey progressive Democrats have the plain language of the law on their side. 'In any election, voters go to the polls and cast their ballots based on the understanding that their properly cast ballots will be counted according to settled rules, and that their ballots will likewise be translated into election outcomes according to settled rules,' read the filing for Platkin, written by Assistant Attorney General Christina Brandt-Young. 'It would severely undermine voters' confidence in the electoral process. It would effectively deprive voters of the franchise, denying them the benefit of the rules according to which they cast their ballots.' State senator and Camden County Democratic chair James Beach suggested in a phone call that Platkin's intervention was related to Beach's bill, proposed a couple weeks ago, to remove the State Police from Platkin's purview. 'He's proven himself time and time again to be more focused on headlines and politics than doing his job for the people of the state of New Jersey,' he said. FEEDBACK? Reach me at mfriedman@ WHERE'S MURPHY — No public schedule QUOTE OF THE DAY: 'The old-school gangsters would just stick a gun in your mouth and say, 'Do this.' Today's gangsters put a pen in your face. They're just a little more educated about it.' — Atlantic Club owner Rocco Sebastiani, on why he's putting it up for sale HAPPY BIRTHDAY — Everyone I mentioned Monday because I couldn't keep dates straight: Brian Bergen, Mo Butler, Naomi Nix, Michael Boonin. And those I missed Monday: Barry Albin, Michael Soliman, Fred Butler, Ben Giovine, Kate McDonnell WHAT TRENTON MADE TURN THE STATE AROUND. LOVE TO HEAR DISCUSSION. TURN IT UPSIDE DOWN. HATE TO SEE REPERCUSSION — 'Murphy says his final budget caps efforts to 'turn our state around',' by NJ Spotlight News' John Reitmeyer: 'From affordability to sustainability to opportunity, Gov. Phil Murphy has cast his final state budget as a spending plan that gives New Jersey a 'brighter future' as he readies to leave office early next year. Murphy, a term-limited Democrat, has emphasized to the public increased funding for direct tax-relief programs and K-12 public school aid as major advancements, along with the setting aside of an estimated $6.7 billion surplus that will be inherited by his successor in 2026, if all goes according to plan ... However, others paint a far different portrait of the budget's overall impact on a state with many residents struggling to manage major concerns like housing and mass-transit affordability, even as total state spending by New Jersey has now risen to a record-high, nearly $60 billion. And the surplus being left to the next governor could have been even bigger, Murphy's critics note, if Murphy and majority Democrats who control the Legislature weren't planning to spend nearly $1.5 billion more than the administration estimates will be collected from taxes and other revenue sources over the next 12 months.' SURE, IT'S REGRETTABLE THIS HAD TO GO. BUT AT LEAST BAD FOR-PROFIT NURSING HOME OPERATORS AREN'T PENALIZED — Key part of suicide prevention hotline may close, by POLITICO's Daniel Han: A key expansion of the state's suicide prevention hotline program may close after lawmakers declined to give it additional funding in the state budget. The Department of Human Services told POLITICO it may have to halt plans to open centers designed to provide immediate services for people who call the 988 suicide prevention hotline. The comments come as lawmakers declined to include a 40-cent monthly fee on phone plans to help fund the 988 suicide hotline in the state budget. Gov. Phil Murphy called for the 40-cent fee in his initial spending plan. PLAINTIFFS HERE SEEK TO DEFY THE LOGIC OF ALL SEX LAWS — 'A N.J. court just made it harder for sex offenders to get off Megan's Law registry,' by NJ Advance Media's Colleen Murphy: 'A New Jersey appeals court has ruled that individuals seeking removal from the state's sex offender registry must prove they are not a danger to the public in any way, not just that they are unlikely to commit another sex crime. The ruling, which sets a new legal precedent in New Jersey, stems from two cases involving men convicted of sex offenses decades ago who later asked to be removed from the state's sex offender registry and released from lifetime supervision … A Middlesex County judge granted both men's requests — but the state appealed, arguing the court failed to consider their full criminal histories. The Appellate Division found that the lower court was wrong to focus only on the risk of future sexual offenses.' MURPHY DECIDES IT AINSWORTH IT — ''How many will close forever?' N.J. just dealt a massive blow to local newspapers, advocates say.,' by NJ Advance Media's Jelani Gibson: 'A decades-old law requiring towns and government agencies in New Jersey to publish meeting notices in newspapers was abolished last week, raising concerns that some local publications covering the state may be forced to close … The consequences of the end of the meeting notice law could be dire for New Jersey's smaller publications, according to Brett Ainsworth, publisher of The Retrospect, an award-winning newspaper in Camden County. 'There are independent, hometown newspapers everywhere in the state that will be devastated,' Ainsworth said. 'The only question to me is how many will close forever.' Ainsworth said he is worried about his own newspaper. 'As publisher for the last 25 years of my hometown newspaper, The Retrospect, I have grave concerns about this 123-year-old newspaper's viability,' he said.' JOHN LYDON MAY JOIN CIATTARELLI CAMPAIGN — 'Tim Lydon joining Sherrill campaign as policy director and general counsel,' by New Jersey Globe's David Wildstein: 'Former Superior Court Judge Timothy Lydon is taking a leave of absence from his post as executive director of the New Jersey Senate Majority Office to head up the policy shop for Democrat Mikie Sherrill's campaign for governor and serve as general counsel to the campaign. With Lydon, Sherrill gains an advisor deeply rooted in the functions of state government, as well as friends on both sides of the aisle and in Gov. Phil Murphy's office.' COPS — 'NJ attorney general's 2024 major discipline report lists 644 incidents, up 19.7% from '23,' by The Record's Amanda Wallace: 'The 2024 report, which was released July 7, lists 644 incidents of major discipline taken last year by 172 agencies in New Jersey against 543 officers. The numbers are up 19.7% from 2023, when there were 538 major disciplines from 167 agencies involving 460 unique officers … 'Major discipline' is defined by the office as terminations, reductions in rank or suspension of more than five days.' — 'New Jersey lawmakers chip away at judicial vacancies' — 'N.J. is finally fixing its 911 system. See the counties where calls could be answered faster' — Snowflack: 'The Eagleton Poll' TRUMP ERA IT'S NOT SAL MELGEN'S VILLA BUT IT'LL HAVE TO DO — 'Bob Menendez transferred to low-security prison,' by New Jersey Globe's David Wildstein: 'Former U.S. Senator Bob Menendez has been transferred to a minimum security federal prison in Allenwood, Pennsylvania. He arrived at LSCI Allenwood on July 1, a spokesperson for the prison told the New Jersey Globe. Menendez began serving his 11-year prison sentence on June 17. The 71-year-old former Senate Foreign Relations Committee chairman, now known as federal prisoner number 67277-050, had initially been assigned to FCI Schuylkill, a medium security federal prison with an adjacent minimum security satellite camp in Minersville, Pennsylvania, about two-and-a-half hours from his home in Englewood Cliffs and about 50 miles west of Allentown. His new prison is about 75 miles north of Harrisburg and a little under three hours from his New Jersey home in Englewood Cliffs.' — 'When will Medicaid cuts take effect in NJ now that the 'Big Beautiful Bill' has passed?' — 'Trump's tax bill: Here's what it means for New Jersey wallets' LOCAL JACKSON SEEKS PRO SE REPRESENTATION BY MAN IN THE MIRROR — 'Another delay in Paterson election fraud case: Councilman Jackson changing lawyers,' by the Paterson Press' Joe Malinconico: 'Facing thousands of dollars in contempt of court fines, Paterson Councilman Michael Jackson has decided to switch defense lawyers in the state's five-year-long election fraud case against him. Sohail Mohammed, the judge who imposed $250-per-day fines against Jackson in May, gave the councilman two weeks to find a new attorney during a court session on July 7. Mohammed previously said he would consider sending Jackson to jail under the contempt order if the councilman did not provide the New Jersey Attorney General's office with the passcode for Jackson's cell phone seized by state investigators more than two years ago. Authorities seized his cell phone in May 2023 after witnesses in the original election fraud case reportedly recanted their allegations against the councilman. Mohammed has said witnesses changed their statements after having substantial communication with Jackson.' I AM SHOCKED — SHOCKED! — TO FIND CORRUPTION GOING ON IN THIS GAMBLING ESTABLISHMENT — 'Citing 'corrupt' Atlantic City government, owner is selling part of the former Atlantic Club casino,' by The Press of Atlantic City's Wayne Parry: 'Citing 'corruption' in city government that he says has frustrated his development plans, the owner of the former Atlantic Club casino is putting part of the property up for sale. Rocco Sebastiani has listed one of the property's two hotel towers for $55 million while he ponders what to do with the remainder of the property at the southern end of the Boardwalk. As recently as February, the New York developer was optimistic about his plan to create a hotel-condominium complex at the former casino site after years of what he said were difficult interactions with city officials regarding the project. When the state took over supervision of the project in February, Sebastiani was heartened, thinking the project could quickly move forward. But he said Thursday that the state is not accepting previous approvals that were hard-won from city government … 'I never expected the corruption that exists in Atlantic City,' he said. 'You read about Nucky Johnson — that stuff still exists.'' UP THE SHORE — 'Jersey Shore towns report banner Fourth of July weekend,' by The Press of Atlantic City's Bill Barlow: 'For those who could find a parking spot and a couple of square feet of sand for a blanket, Independence Day weekend 2025 seemed made for the shore. 'What a spectacular weekend: sunny and mild, warm and calm ocean, some nice breeze to cool things off,' Doug Bergen, Ocean City's public information officer, said Monday. 'It doesn't get much better.' For much of the spring, weekends brought rain or punishing heat. Along with economic uncertainty and multiple other factors, that meant fewer reservations at the shore and concerns from many merchants. There were no such concerns over the weekend, with fully booked hotels, long lines at restaurants and cars parked in almost every available space. Cape May Mayor Zack Mullock reported Monday that water use from the city utility broke records, a sure sign of a crowded town.' LAKEWOOD — 'Lakewood yeshiva student out of jail after arrest claim that he offered teen money for sex,' by the Asbury Park Press' Joe Strupp: 'A township man, who is also a student at Beth Medrash Govoha (BMG), was released from jail pending trial after being accused of trying to lure a teenage boy into a sexual act for money, according to investigators. Binyamin Kubani, 40, was arrested on July 3 and charged with luring and solicitation during an alleged encounter with a 15-year-old boy, according to the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office. Kubani is accused of approaching the victim in a silver van near a car wash … 'The defendant then asked the victim if he would like to make some money, while motioning his hands to the act of masturbation,' [Assistant Prosecutor Gregory] Lenzi said. Kubani's arrest has led to demonstrations in support of him as well as a statement from BMG defending him and calling the case a 'miscarriage of justice.' … Yosef B. Jacobovitch, Kubani's attorney, sought to counter Lenzi's claims … 'This is an individual who everyone who knows him to be a pious, religious, family-oriented man.' Jacobovitch said. 'This is an individual by all accounts and by everyone who knows him to be a good man.'' — 'Efforts to stop gas pipeline in New Jersey's Highlands area failed. See why' — Opinion: 'The $32M question: Why fire the DRBA? The public deserves the truth about the Cape May airport dispute' — '[West Deptford] ex-volunteer fire chief admits possessing massive stash of child sex abuse material' — 'O'Dea slams Solomon: 'Council members need to do more than just say no'' — '2 minor injuries during [Jersey City] fireworks display after crowd 'panicked,' cops say' EVERYTHING ELSE NEW JERSEY EXPORTS HEROES, AND NOT JUST MEATBALL PARM — 'Coast Guard swimmer from N.J. hailed as hero who rescued 165 people from raging Texas floodwaters,' by NJ Advance Media's Anthony G. Attrino: 'A U.S. Coast Guard rescue swimmer from New Jersey was singled out as a hero after saving the lives of nearly 200 people over the holiday weekend during deadly flooding in Central Texas. Petty Officer 3rd Class Scott Ruskan, 26, a helicopter crew member, braved the dangerous waters to rescue dozens, according to U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. 'Scott Ruskin [sic] is an American hero. His selfless courage embodies the spirit and mission of the U.S. Coast Guard,' Noem wrote on Facebook. Ruskan 'directly saved an astonishing 165 victims in the devastating flooding in central Texas,' Noem said. Public records show Ruskan is from Warren County and lives in Corpus Christi, Texas.' JOURNEY TO NEW JOB RISKS CHOLERA, TYPHOID AND DYSENTERY — 'Ex-N.J. health leader who quit on Trump's inauguration day lands [Oregon] university president job,' by NJ Advance Media's Liz Rosenberg: 'Dr. Shereef M. Elnahal, a former New Jersey health commissioner who was also CEO of University Hospital in Newark during the worst of the pandemic, will be the next president of Oregon's health research university. Oregon Health & Science University — which describes itself as a 'national research hub, with thousands of scientists developing lifesaving therapies' — is also a system of hospitals and clinics across Oregon and southwest Washington. Elnahal, who most recently served as undersecretary for health at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs under the Biden administration, was selected for the Oregon job last week.' — ''It's chaos': Newark Airport workers rally as United Airlines slashes jobs, healthcare and immigration legal benefits' — '9 killed in crashes on N.J. roads during deadly holiday weekend' — 'Rutgers interim AD Ryan Pisarri set to leave school after 14 years: Here is where he is headed'
Yahoo
29-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
New Jersey AG ‘confident' in battle against Trump birthright citizenship order
New Jersey Attorney General Matt Platkin, one of the plaintiffs in a 22-state lawsuit against President Trump's executive order curbing birthright citizenship, said Saturday he was 'confident' the order could still be blocked nationwide following a Friday Supreme Court ruling that broadly restricted the ability of the court system to halt the president's policies. 'There's a whole range of administrative challenges that would make this completely unworkable, which is why I'm confident we'll get the nationwide relief we've sought when we go back to the lower courts,' Platkin said in an MSNBC appearance. The nation's highest court ruled Friday that Trump's executive order could be partially enforced because lower-court judges had exceeded their authority in issuing nationwide injunctions that blocked the policy. The ruling did not address the underlying constitutionality of Trump's order, but still drastically limited a judicial tool that has been used for decades, including to block federal policies from multiple presidential administrations. New Jersey is one of 22 Democratic-led states, along with a group of expectant mothers and immigration organizations, that sued to block the executive order almost immediately after it was issued in January. The injunctions issued by three federal judges in Washington, Maryland and Massachusetts in the ensuing months granted relief not just to those plaintiffs, but everyone in the country. That move, the Supreme Court majority said Friday, was unconstitutional. Instead, injunctions should be narrowly tailored to provide 'complete relief to each plaintiff with standing to sue.' The lower courts will now get the first attempt at tailoring injunctions to comply with the ruling. On MSNBC, Platkin contended that 'complete relief' to the states harmed by the executive order would still involve blocking the executive order across the country. 'It would be impossible to administer a system of citizenship based on which state you live in,' he said. The suits of the non-state plaintiffs, meanwhile, were quickly refashioned into class-action lawsuits, a legal route that Justice Amy Coney Barrett noted could provide broader relief against the birthright citizenship order in her majority opinion. The executive order remains blocked for at least 30 days while the courts and parties sort out the next steps. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
17-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Phil Murphy, Matt Platkin vow increased security for NJ officials after Minnesota shooting
In the wake of the June 14 fatal shootings of a Minnesota lawmaker and her husband, security measures to protect New Jersey public officials have been increased, state officials said. Gov. Phil Murphy confirmed in a June 16 statement that these measures were being taken 'out of an abundance of caution' and that there are no 'known or credible' threats in New Jersey. State Attorney General Matt Platkin echoed that and said 'we will remain vigilant in protecting public safety and our public officials.' Platkin also said he condemns the shootings in the 'strongest terms.' 'Political violence is an attack on our democracy,' he said. 'Impersonating law enforcement to carry it out is sickening." The governor said he was 'horrified by the targeted shooting of Minnesota lawmakers and their spouses,' which 'sent shockwaves throughout our nation.' Earlier: New Jersey increasing patrols to protect officials after 'targeted shootings' in Minnesota Former Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, were shot and killed in their home in Champlin in the early morning hours of June 14. Minnesota state Sen. John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, were also shot multiple times in a separate incident at their home, also on June 14. U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar, of Minnesota, shared a statement on social media on June 15 from Yvette Hoffman, in which Hoffman said she was shot eight times and her husband suffered nine gunshot wounds. The statement said they were 'both incredibly lucky to be alive" and that her husband was "enduring many surgeries" and is "closer every hour to being out of the woods." 'This terrible act against two dedicated public officials is an attack on our democracy,' Murphy said. 'There is no place for political violence in the United States, and we must all work together to ensure our political differences are settled through debate, not bloodshed.' He compared the incident to the murder of Daniel Salas, son of U.S. District Judge Esther Salas, at their family home in 2020. That attack inspired Daniel's Law, which prohibited the public disclosure of the home addresses of judges, prosecutors, law enforcement officers and other public officials. Katie Sobko covers the New Jersey Statehouse. Email: sobko@ This article originally appeared on Phil Murphy increased security NJ officials after Minnesota shooting
