U.S. Congressman Slams NJ Governor $20.2 Plan For Illegals

United States Congressman Jeff Van Drew, R-NJ-2, has criticized New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill and her $20.2 million scheme for illegals living in the Garden State.

United States Congressman Jeff Van Drew Statement About New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill

New Jersey families are being crushed by some of the highest electric bills, property taxes, and costs of living in the entire country, and Governor Sherrill's answer is to spend more than $20 million DEFENDING ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS. It is a complete insult to every hardworking taxpayer in this state. New Jersey citizens should come first. If they can find $20 million for immigration lawyers, they can find money to lower utility delivery charges or provide relief to the people who actually live, work, and pay taxes here. Every dollar spent helping illegal immigrants avoid deportation is a dollar that is not being spent helping New Jersey families afford to stay in New Jersey, said Van Drew.

New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill Wants To Cut The “Stay NJ Senior Property Tax Relief Program”

It’s inexplicable that Governor Sherrill would seek to cut much needed property tax relief for seniors, while increasing benefits for illegals who shouldn’t be in America in the first place.

The optics of these two things are disturbing.

Fortunately New Jersey Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin Doesn’t Agree With Cutting Senior Citizen Property Tax Relief in New Jersey

This is what Governor Sherrill wants to do:

Reduced Maximum Benefit: The maximum payout would drop from $6,500 to $4,000.
Lower Income Eligibility: The income cap for eligible seniors would be cut in half, dropping from $500,000 to $250,000.

Coughlin does not believe that $4,000 in property tax relief is enough and he remains a supporter of the original Stay NJ program.

The AARP also supports not cutting the current benefit.

The New Jersey budget is currently undergoing legislative hearings and negotiations in the run-up to the July 1, 2026 requirement to approve a balanced budget.