At a tense Old Bridge Township council meeting, Councilwoman Anita Greenberg-Belli defended Immigration and Customs Enforcement and blasted disruptive protests and extreme rhetoric that likened agents to Nazis. She argued that cutting off local cooperation with federal authorities puts officers and communities at greater risk and that comparing enforcement to the Holocaust is offensive and wrong.
Greenberg-Belli pushed back hard as residents debated how local police should work with federal authorities and how protesters have targeted ICE operations. Her tone was direct and unapologetic, insisting the focus should be on public safety and proper procedures rather than symbolic outrage. “We have to recognize that ICE is not the problem,” she said, making clear where she stands.
Her main point was practical: coordinated arrests handled with local participation keep operations contained and safer for everyone involved. By keeping police and federal agents talking and planning, arrests can happen at stations or other controlled settings rather than in residential doorways. “When local police are told they cannot work with ICE… that is where all this is breaking down,” she warned, stressing the tactical consequences of severing those ties.
Greenberg-Belli also called out activists whose demonstrations cross from legal protest into outright interference with enforcement actions. That interference, she said, can escalate tense moments into dangerous confrontations and put bystanders at risk. “When you go out and protest in that manner, peaceful protesting’s one thing – disruption is another thing,” she told the room, drawing a clear line between protected expression and reckless behavior.
When the conversation turned to rhetoric comparing agents to Nazis, the councilwoman did not mince words about historical accuracy and decency. “It has no comparison with the Holocaust,” she said, rejecting inflated labels that trivialize real atrocities. “When you use that word and call these people Nazis and fascists, it just shows your ignorance. So please stop.”
She laid out a straightforward distinction: Holocaust victims were stripped of rights, property and freedom before being murdered, while people subject to immigration enforcement still retain legal options and due process. That contrast drove her critique of dramatic language that she believes undermines meaningful debate. To her, accurate terms and sober judgment matter more than applause lines and viral slogans.
Beyond the courtroom ethics of language, Greenberg-Belli raised the policy stakes she sees at play: illegal immigration affects budgets, invites fraud, and creates integrity concerns around civic institutions. From a law-and-order standpoint, she argued communities deserve enforcement that is predictable and accountable. Those are the conversations she urged people to have instead of performative protests that simply inflame tensions.
Concern for safety threaded through everything she said, emphasizing both officer welfare and civilian protection in the community. “I do not like anyone getting hurt. I don’t like anyone putting themselves in harm’s way. And unfortunately, this has happened, and it’s got to stop,” she said, calling for actions that reduce danger rather than amplify it. That appeal to practical caution underpins her push for cooperation instead of obstruction.
Greenberg-Belli wrapped her remarks by reminding residents that federal, state and local employees are doing a difficult job under stressful conditions and deserve respectful critique, not slurs. “But you can’t go around calling people that are doing their job – that work for the federal government, the state or local government – Nazis, when they’re doing their job: protecting communities,” she said, urging critics to focus on policies and procedures rather than dehumanizing labels. Requests for comment were made after the meeting to follow up on the discussion and next steps.
