In an editorial, Hudson County commissioner candidate Ron Bautista (D-5) outlines three ways he feels the county can do more to stand up to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

Federal immigration agents are out of control, terrorizing our communities and executing innocent bystanders in broad daylight.

Right here in New Jersey, ICE agents have kidnapped high school students, dragged people out of buses on their way to work, and deported longtime residents with no due process.

With every news story and ICE sighting, there’s a growing sense that no one in government is looking out for us — that no one is out there to protect our civil rights.

We can no longer expect the federal government to keep us safe, so we must look to our local governments to step up.

Hudson County has the power, and the responsibility, to do just that by passing a Civil Rights Protection Plan.

This would accomplish three things: make clear that federal agents are not immune from state and local laws; empower sheriff’s officers to enforce existing trespassing laws, even if those trespassing are federal agents; and support the prosecutor’s office in holding federal agents accountable, free from political influence.

Federal agents have real authority under federal law, but that authority does not mean immunity.

Our Constitution is clear: No one is above the law. When a federal agent commits a crime outside the scope of their duties, they become subject to state criminal law just like anyone else. Federal employment status is irrelevant.

This may sound radical to some, but this is settled law. What’s missing is courage, clarity, and preparation at the county level.

First, the commissioners should pass an ordinance clarifying that if a state or local crime is committed and there is probable cause that justifies an arrest, federal agents are not immune.

These crimes include assault, unlawful restraint, and breaking and entering.

This ordinance would not create new authority. It would codify and clarify existing state law so county law enforcement can train, prepare, and protect everyone’s rights without hesitation or confusion.

Second, the commissioners should empower the county sheriff’s officers to enforce trespassing laws on private as well as public property in adherence with the state’s new Safe Communities Act.

This means protecting residents when agents trespass on private property, and making sure agents aren’t trespassing in sensitive areas like transit areas, county facilities, hospitals, or offices without a judicial warrant.

That is not obstruction. That is constitutional governance.

Third, the commissioners should create a system to hold federal agents accountable, starting with requesting that the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office designate someone to review all allegations involving federal agents so these cases are taken seriously.

Prosecutors should decide charges, not politicians, and this process respects that independence while ensuring cases are reviewed in a consistent manner.

The commissioners should also allocate funding to train county law enforcement and county personnel on when state law applies to federal agents, the limits of Supremacy Clause immunity, and how to protect constitutional rights during enforcement, as well as ongoing compliance audits to ensure the new ordinances and trainings are being followed.

These steps would help protect civil rights, protect county employees and law enforcement officers, and stop ICE agents from committing crimes with impunity.

Our neighbors are counting on us to protect them. County government should not wait for a tragedy to act.