ELIZABETH - Standing in a local supermarket after receiving endorsements from a number of Hispanic organizations, Josh Gottheimer had a warning for Donald Trump.

If Gottheimer becomes governor and the Trump Administration comes to schools, churches and the like in search of hard-working immigrants with no criminal background ...

"You can count on me to stop him at the door."
The CD-5 congressman and gubernatorial candidate gave his pledge Monday morning while visiting the Extra Supermarket in a city with a large Hispanic population.

Tony Villalobos of the Salvadoran Leadership group said immigrants are essential to the state's economy, because they handle such tasks as taking care of lawns, picking crops and collecting trash.

Nothing unique here, he said, noting that years ago Italians, Poles and other immigrants performed these jobs.

Immigration is one of the more passionate issues of the day, so it's no surprise it's popping into the gubernatorial primary.

Ras Baraka, another one of the six Democrats in the field, called a press conference earlier this year to condemn a federal immigration raid in Newark where he is the mayor,

Today, Gottheimer stressed that one out of every five New Jersey residents is of Latino heritage and that they own 15 percent of the state's small businesses.

Pending in the state Legislature is the Immigrant Trust Act, which will allow immigrants to seek protection and support from state and local agencies without fear of deportation. It would also limit New Jersey's involvement in the federal detention and deportation system.

Gottheimer said it's vital to "protect innocent, undocumented people" at all times.

But he said the Immigrant Trust Act needs some "tweeks," because, "It doesn't allow for violent criminals who are undocumented to not be here anymore."

He said allowing those individuals to remain would be a "huge mistake."

Generally speaking, all the Democrats running for governor back immigrant rights.

George Castro of the Hispanic American Political Action Committee said the scales tipped to Gottheimer, because he is a "centrist" who can reach a consensus with Republicans.

As one backer in the group put it, "Josh is running on performance, not promises."

Also officially backing Gottheimer today were representatives of the Dominican American Council of New Jersey, the Peruvian American Coalition of New Jersey and the Latino American Democratic Association of New Jersey.

Given the fact, he was in a supermarket, Gottheimer also talked about his plans to cut income and property taxes.

"People are feeling crushed. We have to give them a break," he said.

Shoppers were going in and out of the store as the press event ensued and when one man saw Gottheimer, he approached and briefly engaged in some shadow boxing.

Guess he saw Gottheimer's latest TV ad.