Gov. Mikie Sherrill signed three immigration-related bills into law Wednesday, including one that codifies a state directive that restricts when local and state police can aid federal immigration authorities.
Sherrill, joined by lawmakers who sponsored the bills and Latino advocates from across the state, said it’s important to solidify New Jersey’s status as a haven for immigrants as the Trump administration carries out its mass detention and deportation effort.
“In the past two months, we’ve watched poorly trained, masked ICE agents put communities across the country in danger. In this state we have drawn a line — no, not here,” Sherrill said at a bill signing ceremony in Newark.
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The signing caps years of legislative attempts to enshrine the 2018 Immigrant Trust Directive into state law. Immigrant advocates have pushed for the state to codify the directive, put in place by then-Attorney General Gurbir Grewal during President Donald Trump’s first term, to prevent it being withdrawn by a future administration.
The bill advanced out of both legislative chambers Monday despite major pushback from Republicans. GOP leaders also held a rally on the Statehouse steps ahead of the vote, claiming the “insane” bills would make New Jersey less safe and protect criminals.
Roughly 500,000 undocumented immigrants reside in New Jersey. About 1 in 4 New Jerseyans is an immigrant, one of the highest immigrant populations in the nation.
The legislation blocks state and local police from aiding U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in raids or providing them with local law enforcement resources, including office space, databases, and property. State correctional officers also cannot allow ICE to interview individuals detained on criminal charges, and New Jersey prosecutors cannot use a defendant’s immigration status as the sole measure for detaining them before trial.
Assemblywoman Ellen Park (D-Bergen) has sponsored the legislation since its first iteration in 2021, and is one of the only immigrants elected to the state Legislature. Park said codifying the directive ensures that residents feel safe asking for help when they need it, “at a time when many in our communities feel vulnerable.”
“That sense of safety is only possible when there is trust in our law enforcement, our health care providers, and our public servants. These measures are about preserving that trust,” she said. “They ensure that residents can access essential services, whether calling the police or visiting a doctor, without fear that doing so could lead to detention.”
One of the other bills Sherrill signed Wednesday, aimed at ICE agents, restricts when law enforcement can wear masks to shield their identity. The third limits government entities and health care facilities from collecting and sharing certain info, like a patron’s immigration status.
Sherrill, a Democrat, has taken numerous steps since she took office on Jan. 20 that have been lauded by immigrant activists. She signed an executive order barring immigration agents from some state property, created a portal for residents to report “harmful conduct” by ICE agents, and sued the federal government to stop it from turning a warehouse in Roxbury into a migrant detention center.
Asked to comment on the new laws, White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson said the Trump administration “will not waver on enforcing federal immigration law no matter how much Democrat politicians try to obstruct us.”
“ICE officers are facing a 1300% increase in assaults because of dangerous, untrue smears by elected Democrats. Recently, an officer had his finger bitten off by a radical left-wing rioter. ICE officers act heroically to enforce the law and protect American communities — local officials should work with them, not against them. Anyone doing otherwise is simply doing the bidding of criminal illegal aliens,” Jackson said.
During Trump’s first term, his administration sued New Jersey over the Immigrant Trust Directive, a lawsuit that was thrown out by a federal judge.
An earlier version of the codification bill was vetoed by ex-Gov. Phil Murphy the day Sherrill took office, with Murphy saying he had concerns it could open the state up to legal challenges because it went further than the directive. There are major changes between the bill Sherrill signed and previous iterations.
Sherrill said she’s “happy” to go to court if the Trump administration sues over the new laws, and will not “tolerate masked, roving militias” in the Garden State.
“Nothing is going to stop us from standing up for New Jersey and against Donald Trump’s overreach. Nothing will stop us from delivering on the promises that we’ve made,” she said.
As the codification bill was winding through the Legislature, some immigrant advocates lamented that it was watered down from an earlier version that had stronger protections. But they celebrated Sherrill signing the bill Wednesday.
“These protections need to be the floor and not a ceiling. The threats coming out of Washington are evolving every day, so our laws need to keep up,” said Nedia Morsy, executive director of Make the Road New Jersey. “That means closing loopholes that leave people exposed, responding to new tactics, and making sure every person in the state has their rights protected.”
New Jersey Senate Republicans issued a statement Wednesday criticizing the bills and saying they will make communities less safe.
“Every time Democrats put ideology over public safety, we see the same result — chaos,” said Sen. James Holzapfel (R-Ocean). “Whether in Trenton or in Washington, it’s the same pattern of behavior, and it’s hardworking families who are left dealing with the consequences.”
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