Kim Guadagno just released a TV ad that accuses Phil Murphy of sympathizing with the gang of notorious murderers who shot down four college students in a Newark schoolyard a decade ago, clipping a video in which Murphy says, "My bias is going to be having their back."



One problem: Murphy was not talking about the murderers.



He was talking about law-abiding immigrants, and had just emphasized the importance of distinguishing them from those who commit crimes.

Murphy vows to defy 'unconstitutional' orders from Trump if elected N.J. governor



What Guadagno did is splice the video in way that is flat-out dishonest, a cheap attempt to whip up the most ugly and unfounded fears of unauthorized immigrants, and to use that fear to slime Murphy, her Democratic opponent in the gubernatorial race.



It is this campaign's Willie Horton ad, and another sign that Guadagno's campaign can't be trusted. She's going entirely Trumpy, using distortion to fan fear of minorities and stir up the white vote -- much like the infamous, race-baiting attack ad from George Bush did in 1988, starring Horton, a black felon.





This exchange Guadagno cites came at an NJ.com/Star-Ledger forum at Rutgers University that she declined to attend. While there is always an example of folks who do something "heinous," Murphy argued, we must be careful not to smear all immigrants -- a starkly different point than Guadagno claims he made.



Granted, Murphy is not well-versed on the details of so-called sanctuary states, and admitted it at the forum. He still hasn't gathered himself to pick a position that should guide sanctuary policies, which is disheartening.



As he knows, a "sanctuary" city or state does not provide a safe haven for unauthorized immigrants by protecting them from federal deportation, as many people seem to think, and as the word suggests. It only places some limits on the cooperation of state and local authorities.



This is especially important for local police who operate in immigrant communities, since their teaming up with the feds would drive many immigrants underground. To arrest menacing people like MS-13 gangsters, it's essential that immigrant crime victims and witnesses do not fear coming forward.



In that respect, sanctuary policies actually make us safer. They mean local police won't arrest crime victims or witnesses simply because of their undocumented status, so people aren't afraid to testify in these cases.



But even in sanctuary cities and states, local authorities often cooperate with the feds in some circumstances, like the arrests of dangerous felons. So having a sanctuary state doesn't mean that people who are a danger go free.



What Murphy ought to do is endorse a standard similar to that enacted by former Attorney General Anne Milgram, under then-Gov. Jon Corzine. When police charge someone with a felony, or drunk driving, they are supposed to check the legal status of the suspect and inform federal authorities.



But local police are not supposed to check the immigration status of victims or witnesses. Police should not be allowed check the status of those charged with petty crimes, either. Rules like that, if followed correctly, strike a reasonable balance.



Dangerous people must be kept off our streets, irrespective of their legal status. Guadagno also owes the public an explanation of how she would do that without pushing victims and witnesses underground.

Instead, she is broadcasting a vile and deliberately misleading attack ad, channeling Donald Trump.

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