On Monday, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and Attorney General Letitia James filed legal action in the U.S. Supreme Court to block New Jersey from terminating the Waterfront Commission that the two states share.
The court filing seeks a declaratory judgment and injunctions to prohibit New Jersey from breaching the Congressionally approved Waterfront Commission Compact between the two states. The legal action states that New York would suffer immediate and irreparable harm if New Jersey withdrew from the commission, resulting in increased criminal activity, higher prices on incoming goods, and racial and gender inequities in port hiring.
“Protecting the safety of New Yorkers and our vital industries is my top priority, and we cannot afford to lose the Waterfront Commission’s unique authority and expertise in combatting crime at our port,” Hochul said. “In light of current geopolitical uncertainty, the termination of the Waterfront Commission would cause immediate and irreparable harm to New York State, from increased crime to higher prices to employment inequities. It is our responsibility to New Yorkers to stop New Jersey’s unlawful actions and preserve the ongoing work of this law enforcement agency.”
Created in 1953, the Waterfront Commission has worked to investigate, deter, combat and remedy criminal activity, as well as to influence and ensure fair hiring and employment practices at the port.
The commission’s work is ongoing, the leadership of New York said, and continues to investigate those associated with organized crime families, illegal drug and firearms trafficking, and other organized crime offenses.
“For decades, the Waterfront Commission has been a critical partnership to keep our ports and our communities safe,” James said. “New Jersey’s attempt to terminate this commission is unlawful, ill-advised, and infringes on our efforts to crack down on crime. This commission has long proved to be a necessary force to root out corruption and organized crime, and we will use every tool at our disposal to ensure its powers remain intact and our communities benefit from its important work.”
The complaint asks the court to permanently enjoin New Jersey from taking any further action to withdraw from the commission and to find that any such action is unlawful to “protect the Waterfront Commission and the interstate agreement that created it.”
The complaint filed in the Supreme Court requests that the court preliminarily and permanently enjoin New Jersey from taking any action to further its unilateral withdrawal and declare that any such action is unlawful and void to preserve and protect the Waterfront Commission and the interstate agreement that created it.