Gov. Mikie Sherrill’s plan to collect resident-submitted videos of ICE activity in New Jersey is drawing mixed reaction from some immigrant advocates and Republican lawmakers.
Sherrill, a Democrat who took office on Jan. 13, announced the web portal plan Wednesday on “The Daily Show,” saying the goal is to increase transparency and accountability.
“If you see an ICE agent in the street, get your phone out. We want to know, because they have not been forthcoming,” Sherrill said. “They’ve picked up American citizens. They picked up a 5-year-old child. We want documentation, and we are going to make sure we get it.”
Republican state lawmakers said such a step would undermine law enforcement.
“At a time when leaders should be lowering the temperature, this piles on,” Assembly Minority Leader John DiMaio (R-Hunterdon), told Insider NJ. “It sends a message that enforcing the law is something to be shamed instead of respected.”
Some advocates worry a government-run system may not move in real time to warn communities about agents in their neighborhoods. Itzel Hernandez, an organizer with the immigrant rights group American Friends Service Committee, told New Jersey Monitor that she hoped Sherrill would focus on signing the state’s Immigrant Trust Directive into law.
“Ensuring that police departments are not cooperating with immigration officers is, I think, one of the most tangible, real steps she could take,” Hernandez said. “If that step that she’s taking is the portal, I hope this is not the ceiling, but very much the ground of what she hopes to do to protect communities in the state.”
A bill to do just that was one of two vetoed by former Gov. Phil Murphy during his final days in office. Sean Higgins, a spokesperson for Sherrill, said the governor supports enshrining the state’s policy into law. But Sherrill previously said she wouldn’t support legislation that would expose New Jersey to legal risk.
“Governor Sherrill supports a bill to codify the directive,” Higgins told NJ Spotlight News. “What she does not support is anything that undermines the ability to defend our protections in court, which puts people at risk.”
State lawmakers plan to re-introduce the vetoed bill soon. Assemblywoman Annette Quijano (D-Union) expressed support for Sherrill’s video portal plan and pledged to push for more immigrant protections.
“This portal is not the end of the conversation — it is part of a broader commitment,” Quijano said in a statement. “I intend to continue introducing legislation that protects all communities, defends civil rights, and ensures that New Jersey stands firm against policies and practices that threaten public trust and due process.”
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