The governor of Massachusetts, Maura Healey, the mayor of New York, Eric Adams, and the governor of Arizona, Katie Hobbs, have been some of the most prominent figures in the Democratic Party to disagree with the Biden administration's response to the immigration issue, which has led to an unprecedented crisis in the country. Not only have they disagreed with the federal government's policies but they have also called out lower-level politicans.
The Democratic mayor of Edison (New Jersey), Sam Joshi, has been the subject of criticism from a party colleague for some comments he made about illegal immigrants. A few days ago, the Democratic mayor said, in statements reported by Newsweek, that illegal immigrants "are not welcome here," referring to the city he governs:
They're illegal, and they belong on the other side of the border. We don't want them in Edison, period. That's the bottom line. Edison does not have the financial or social service resources required. We cannot afford to put them in long-term hotel stays or provide housing or educational services to our already overcrowded schools.
Democratic city councilman Ajay Patil from Edison showed his "disappointment" towards Joshi's statements:
I'm really disappointed in the mayor, who happens to be the son of immigrants. I don't think you really understand what immigration means. I don't think. Otherwise he would not have given any statement in media. He could have stayed out. Edison is more than 50 percent immigrants. They are the backbone of this town. I'm shocked the mayor would go to the extremes.
"Immigration is the responsibility of the federal government"
Joshi, who is the son of immigrants, added that he has the support of a large part of the residents of Edison:
As the son of immigrants, I understand this issue very well. Edison has a large immigrant population and the overwhelming majority of Edison residents, most notably the immigrant community, support my position and I'm proud to represent their best interests.
Regarding whose responsibility it is to alleviate the immigration crisis, Joshi pointed out in a video he posted on his Facebook that the federal administration is responsible for applying the correct policies to alleviate the current situation.
