GPNJ: Lily Benavides: It is Up to Us to Fight for Justice in Wake of NJ Democratic Party Trust Act Fail and NSPM-7 Silence
There is a war from US government against its own citizens. There is a war from the duopoly against our communities. There is currently a war in our streets directed by Trump and his cronies and supported by Democrats ( how can they carry that name?) against Brown and Black people, against poor people, against hard working people, against foreigners, against natives and against anyone who dares to think different, who has an accent, who doesn’t please our “so-called” president or who critiques Israel. We are under constant surveillance and threats by our own government who has called out for our death by the hands of ICE thugs.
It is despicable that having knowledge of all the danger we are in not just nationwide but statewide. In this case in New Jersey, our state officials haven’t taken any measures to protect us, haven’t created any safeguards and haven’t even pronounced one word about the harms, including the lethal harm that we face.
National Security Presidential Memorandum 7 (NSPM07) is alive and kicking in US and starting to bloom when ICE thugs shot Keith Porter Jr. an LA resident, and Renee Good in Minneapolis next. “There have been 18 incidents in which immigration agents opened fire and another 36 incidents in which agents held bystanders or protesters at gunpoint. At least three people have been shot observing or documenting immigration raids, and five people have been shot while driving away from traffic stops or evading an enforcement action. On September 30, agents raided a Chicago apartment building and held half-asleep tenants and their children at gunpoint. Keith Porter Jr. and Renee Good were two of four people who have been killed by ICE. Another eight people have been injured.” https://www.thetrace.org/2025/12/immigration-ice-shootings-guns-tracker/
These were the murders by guns and we are not counting those who have been brutally beaten without cause and have ended up in the hospital including at least two cases in NJ. This is how the attacks on civilians and the militarization of our cities have been evolving and it will become worse if we don’t find a way to stop it.
New Jersey elected officials have had many opportunities take action to protect its citizens and residents but have decided to stay put. First the Fightbackbetter editor and I sent a letter to the then Congresswoman and candidate for Governor Mikie Sherrill, the then NJ AOG, the then Governor of NJ Phil Murphy and some elected officials in October 2025 to no avail until today. We called for immediate action to keep the name of NJ residents and citizens off of the NSPM-7 death squad list- what they are calling a “domestic terrorist” list. The determination is proclaimed and not based upon evidence. Basically if you disagree with MAGA on 10 topics you can be proclaimed a domestic terrorist and arrested, assaulted, kidnapped or murdered – like Renee Good.
Dozens even rallied outside the FBI building in Newark holding a “Public Hearing in the Streets’ on National Security Presidential Memorandum -7 on November 12, 2025. As the Trump administration has launched street executions accordingly, neither the prior Murphy adminisrtation nor the current Sherrill administration have even acknowledged the threat,
The second chance was to pass the ITA (Immigrant Trust Act) bill proposal to protect our immigrant families and to reinforce the Immigrant Trust Directive OAG memorandum with the same name created in 2018 with similar purpose. After more than two years of the bill hanging in Trenton and the efforts of many people and organizations it finally went to the Assembly and to the Senate. For some reason, I’ll explain ahead, it was divided in three parts but all passed the Chambers with bright colors and ready to be signed by the leaving Governor Murphy. Oh surprise, he only signed one bill!
WAS ITA SPLIT A DEM LEGISLATIVE COLLAB W/ MURPHY TO KILL ITA DIRECTIVE ENCODING?
Here is my theory: the Assembly, Senate and Murphy fooled us all into believing that they cared and that they were finally going to do something good for the approximately 500,000 undocumented in New Jersey. It was all theater. They could have been nominated for an Oscar for best acting. They all knew well that Murphy wasn’t going to sign all three of the bills. That is why it was divided in three parts. Hello? Are you awake yet? Don’t forget this subterfuge as we prepare our election decisions.
Are NJ residents naive enough to continue supporting Democrats and Republicans after seeing once and again that they are just playing games with our lives? We have a heavy presence of ICE in our State now. The newly elected “Dear Honest” Governor Mikie Sherrill loves throwing (our tax) money to the military like she did for her inauguration and soon enough we will have a military display, including police, marching in our streets supporting ICE and allowing them to take anyone, citizens or not, to the concentration camps. That is if we don’t get dissapeared or killed in our way there. Don’t believe for a second that the Democrats are coming to save us from Trump’s claws. They are tying us up to the nearest post to be scorched. The so-called President of Peace will soon be ordering our death in a stake as he has done with the Palestinians. We need to take drastic decisions to see changes. If we continue doing the same thing we will get the same results over and over. Only the people can save the people
Recognizing the Links of Oppression
People of New Jersey, it’s time to acknowledge the connections between the genocide in Palestine, the invasion of Venezuela, and the actions of ICE in our communities. These ties have always been present but are now more evident than ever.
All these situations share key similarities. First, IOF (Israeli Occupation Force) soldiers have trained police and military forces both here and around the globe, employing violent tactics. Israel and USA engage in invasions, working together in their efforts to seize foreign land and resources. Moreover, Palantir Technologies are being used to track and eliminate Palestinians, gather intelligence on countries like Venezuela, and aid ICE in detaining immigrants and activists.
As an immigrant and an active member of the Green Party of NJ, I urge everyone reading this article to recognize the gravity of this moment. Don’t take too long to take a decision and choose which side you want to be on. Do you want to stand on the right side of history, or the wrong side, when military forces inevitably flood into NJ, just as they have in Minnesota? It’s bound to happen, whether you believe it or not. It’s your responsibility to safeguard your family, friends, and neighbors as a united community from the dangers that both Democrats and Republicans have placed us in. Our salvation lies in our hands!
