The Democratic primary in New Jersey’s 8th Congressional District has become a direct fight over immigration enforcement and political credibility, with challenger Mussab Ali accusing incumbent U.S. Rep. Rob Menendez (D-8) of adopting Ali’s call to abolish U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) after Ali made it a core plank of his campaign.
- Ali argues his campaign adopted the position first and that Menendez only embraced it about seven days later during a virtual town hall.
- He criticizes Menendez for taking more corporate PAC money than individual donations in Q4 2025 and says real leadership means taking bold positions early.
- She rejects Ali’s claim, pointing to a surprise visit to the Delaney Hall ICE detention center one year ago, where she says she, Menendez, and McIver confronted armed HSI and ICE agents.
How the Dispute Began
The dispute followed a virtual town hall held last night, where Menendez publicly called for abolishing ICE. The event was co-hosted with U.S. Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-12) and U.S. Rep. LaMonica McIver (D-10), both of whom have endorsed Menendez for reelection.
Ali says Menendez has made similar statements in the past week. He argues that his campaign adopted the position earlier and was told at launch that its platform was “too bold and too risky.” According to Ali, Menendez embraced the ICE abolition stance seven days later.
Ali presents the timing as evidence that his campaign is setting the agenda in the district.
Ali’s Five Campaign Promises
Abolishing ICE is one of five promises Ali says he made to voters at the outset of his campaign. He treats these commitments as a single governing agenda.
My opponent finally joined us! But will he reject donations from corporate PACs? pic.twitter.com/gN7pK4DEU4
— Mussab Ali (@MussabAliJC) February 3, 2026
Alongside abolishing ICE, Ali has pledged to:
- Oppose ICE funding in practice
- Support universal healthcare
- Stand up to corporate power
- Choose diplomacy over what he calls “permanent war.”
Ali contends that if Menendez now agrees on abolishing ICE, he should also embrace the rest of this platform.
Corporate PAC Money as a Campaign Issue
Ali has criticized Menendez’s campaign finances from the fourth quarter of 2025, stating that Menendez took more corporate PAC money than individual donations during that period.
Ali uses that figure to argue that Menendez remains tied to corporate interests instead of grassroots donors.
Watson Coleman’s Defense of Menendez
Watson Coleman rejected Ali’s accusation that Menendez copied his position on ICE, arguing that Menendez has a longer record on the issue.
She pointed to a surprise visit to an ICE detention center exactly one year ago, when she, Menendez, and McIver appeared together at Delaney Hall. According to Watson Coleman, that visit involved confronting numerous armed Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and ICE agents.
She said Menendez has consistently worked alongside her in opposing the current administration’s immigration enforcement practices and in defending immigrant communities.
Ali Challenges Menendez’s Progressive Label
Ali disputed whether Menendez should be described as a progressive lawmaker.
He pointed out that during the 2024 election cycle, Menendez publicly described himself as a moderate, not a progressive.
Ali also cited Menendez’s 2024 endorsement from AIPAC, saying the organization listed him simply as “pro-Israel,” not as a progressive candidate — a distinction Ali says AIPAC makes explicitly when it applies.
Ali argues that being progressive requires taking positions early, voting accordingly, and refusing corporate PAC influence, not appearing at single high-profile moments.
Primary Timeline and Matchup
The Democratic primary for New Jersey’s 8th Congressional District is scheduled for June 2.
The contest is positioned as a head-to-head race between Ali and Menendez for the Democratic nomination in a reliably blue district, with ICE policy, campaign finance, and political identity at the center of the campaign.
