Sheriff Bob Nolan of Cape May County, New Jersey, has been on the job for fewer than 80 days — but as a seasoned law enforcement professional of 34 years, he hit the ground running.

Nolan and the Cape May County freeholders have united in their opposition to becoming a sanctuary state, as New Jersey’s Democrat Gov. Phil Murphy proposed during his gubernatorial campaign this past fall.

“When I raised my right hand and put my left hand on the Bible and took an oath to protect and serve the citizens of this county — I take that very, very seriously, as seriously as I take the oath of marriage I gave to my wife almost 40 years ago,” said Sheriff Nolan in an interview with LifeZette.

Nolan is so determined about that oath, in fact, that he doubled down: He’s going to add his name to the list of more than 300 other sheriffs who recently signed a letter urging Congress to take action to secure America’s borders.

The National Sheriffs’ Association sent the letter to Congress a few weeks ago. Since then, Nolan and a number of other sheriff colleagues who didn’t get a chance to sign the letter initially have asked that their names be included.

In Nolan’s state, those names include Hunterdon County Sheriff Fred W. Brown, Somerset County Sheriff Frank J. Provenzano, and Monmouth County Sheriff Shaun Golden. Salem County Sheriff Chuck Miller and Sussex County Sheriff Mike Strada will soon add their names to the list as well, as Sheriff Frank Provenzano indicated to LifeZette in a recent interview.

“When you make a promise or a pledge, the way I was raised, you live that. There’s no deviation. I don’t know why in the world a law enforcement [officer] wouldn’t want to at least strengthen our borders,” said Nolan.

The Cape May law enforcement chief is concerned about gangs and gang activity. He noted that the Bloods and Crips have been present in Cape May County over the years, often when big events come to the Jersey shore. Though Cape May has a population of only about 95,000, that number swells to over a million during tourist season; towns such as Wildwood, Wildwood Crest, Ocean City and others are favorite New Jersey beach destinations.

“Our next county over, in Cumberland County — I know that they have issues with MS-13,” Nolan also said.

MS-13 is notorious for its viciousness. In his State of the Union address this past January, President Donald Trump mentioned this gang specifically, referencing its connection to illegal immigration and a particularly heinous case that involved the murders of two teenage girls in Long Island, New York, in 2016.

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Gang activity, of course, isn’t Sheriff Nolan’s sole concern with respect to the need for strengthening our borders. “We as law enforcement officers must stick together to address every issue, not just one, when it comes to public safety,” he said, referring to the issue of New Jersey’s opioid epidemic and how these drugs often make their way across the U.S./Mexico border.

“[Some illegal border crossers are] smuggling in the poison that’s killing our youth today,” he said.

Nolan added that he finds the idea of illegal immigrants skipping the line, so to speak, fundamentally unfair.

“I think it’s a slap in the face to all those good people who are going about it [immigration] the right way — who stand in line and wait, and do what’s expected of them and complete the requirements and become citizens.”

Related: No Way Does This Sheriff Want N.J. to Become a Sanctuary State

Nolan, a father of three and a grandfather now as well, explained how moved he felt while attending three ceremonies over the past few years where those who have gone through the legal immigration process were sworn in as American citizens.

“That’s one of the things that makes you proud to be an American. To see those people who came here for an opportunity, for a better life — their children, their families are in the audience. I’ve spent time [with them]. I speak with them and give them words of encouragement.”

With those who do not go about the process in a legal fashion, Nolan takes issue. In addition, he is opposed to providing a means for those who are here illegally to be sheltered from the consequences of breaking the law.

“I certainly would not agree to this [New Jersey] being a sanctuary state for criminals, whether it be illegal aliens or criminals of any other definition. A criminal is a criminal.”

He added, “I’ve met privately and collectively with all five of the county freeholders, and they all share my vision and my belief that we do not want to become a sanctuary county. We will not voluntarily become a sanctuary county … My primary function as a law enforcement officer is to detect and apprehend criminals and to keep the public safe. So why would any of us want to see an environment where the criminal element was welcomed here and it was a sanctuary for them?”Cape May County has an especially useful tool in its law enforcement kit for identifying detainees who are in the country illegally.

Related: Hunterdon ‘Is Not Going to Be a Sanctuary County as Long as I’m Sheriff’

“We had three officers who were sent down to the national training center and were certified and became eligible to work the 287(g) system,” Nolan explained. Officers so certified can access a federal database, streamlining the process to put a detainer on inmates who are wanted by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

Compared to some other New Jersey counties, Cape May County does not see many detainees who are in the country illegally. Nolan said that in the first quarter of this year, they had a total of five. In Somerset County, on the other hand, Sheriff Frank Provenzano told LifeZette they have ICE agents coming to their facility three or four times a week.

Despite the relatively lower numbers, Nolan remains strongly in favor of border-strengthening projects that will keep those numbers low. He is pleased with President Trump’s initiatives in this area.

“Trump has our backs and Trump is supporting what we do to keep America safe.”

The sheriff noted another positive he’s noticed since President Trump took office: the support he’s seen for law enforcement generally. “President Trump is a staunch supporter of both the military and the police in this country. I certainly feel that at least Trump has our backs and Trump is supporting what we do to keep America safe.”

He added, “There [were] times during the [Barack] Obama administration that I felt like I was being spit on or my face was being slapped by some of the things that were said by not only President Obama, but his administration.”

“You have to have [a] thick skin in this business. Regardless of what people say and do, I know my mission here on this earth is to do what I do to the best of my ability and keep the citizens and the community I live in safe,” said Nolan. “I will continue to provide those services for the residents and visitors to this county — until the good Lord calls me [elsewhere].”

Michele Blood is a Flemington, New Jersey-based freelance writer and a regular contributor to LifeZette.