New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill signed a series of laws on March 25 that significantly limited how state and local authorities can cooperate with federal immigration enforcement.
“It’s pretty clear that New Jersey law enforcement should enforce New Jersey laws,” Sherrill said before signing the bills.
“We shouldn’t use New Jersey resources to do federal agents’ jobs at the same time, and we’re not going to allow federal agents to terrorize our state.”
At the center of the new measures was the formal codification of the state’s Immigrant Trust Directive.
Previously implemented by the New Jersey Attorney General’s Office, the directive restricted law enforcement from assisting federal immigration officers unless they present a judicial warrant.
By writing the policy into law, the state strengthened measures designed to separate local policing from federal immigration enforcement.
However, the law preserved certain exceptions.
State and local correctional facilities may still cooperate with federal authorities in specific cases—such as when an individual has been charged with or convicted of a serious or violent crime or is subject to a final deportation order issued by a judge.
In addition to immigration-related restrictions, Sherrill approved a separate bill requiring law enforcement officers to clearly identify themselves when detaining or arresting individuals.
The law also limited the use of face coverings by officers during official duties, although exceptions have been made for undercover operations, protective gear, or situations in which revealing identity could pose a risk of retaliation.
Another measure signed into law restricted the amount of immigration-related data that can be collected by state agencies, local governments, and health care providers, aiming to address privacy concerns among immigrant communities.
The pieces of legislation came amid growing criticism from Democrats of the immigration policies under President Donald Trump, particularly those that have led to large-scale deportations of illegal immigrants.
These actions also followed a Feb. 23 lawsuit filed by the Department of Justice against New Jersey and Sherrill over a related executive order.
The lawsuit argued that the state’s policies violated the Supremacy Clause of the U.S. Constitution, which established that federal law generally takes precedence over state law.
Federal officials said the executive order improperly interferes with their ability to enforce immigration laws and discriminates against federal agents by prohibiting their access to areas that remain open to local law enforcement.
“Federal agents are risking their lives to keep New Jersey citizens safe, and yet New Jersey’s leaders are enacting policies designed to obstruct and endanger law enforcement,” Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a Feb. 24 statement.
“States may not deliberately interfere with our efforts to remove illegal aliens and arrest criminals—New Jersey’s sanctuary policies will not stand.”
In February, Sherrill issued Executive Order 12, which prohibits Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and other federal agencies from carrying out civil immigration enforcement actions on state-owned property without a judicial warrant.
The order applied to a wide range of locations, including office buildings, parking facilities, and state correctional institutions.
According to the Justice Department, the order also prevented ICE from using state facilities to keep individuals based on “detainer” requests, as well as from using those locations as staging or operational bases.
Responding to the lawsuit, Sherrill defended the state’s actions in a post on X, arguing that federal authorities should focus on complying with existing laws rather than challenging state-level public safety measures.
Trump expressed support for ICE on March 25, saying in a post on Truth Social that he is “so proud” of them.
“Thank you to ICE for the GREAT job you are doing,” he wrote. “America very much appreciates it!”
Stacy Robinson contributed to this report.
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