3-minute read
‘Not here’ says Gov. Mikie Sherrill on threats against progress in NJ
Watch video as new Gov. Mikie Sherrill talks ICE, NJ’s resolve in her inauguration speech Jan. 20, 2026 at New Jersey Performing Arts Center, Newark.
TRENTON — A new bundle of immigration-related bills moved forward in the Assembly on Thursday, Feb. 12.
Geared toward addressing concerns about the safety of immigrant communities in New Jersey, the Assembly Public Safety and Preparedness meeting included just three bills and lasted nearly three hours.
This legislation comes at a time when the actions of federal immigration agents have become hot-button issues throughout the country.
This isn’t a new idea, though. Similar bills made it as far as the governor’s desk in the last session before ultimately being pocket-vetoed by former Gov. Phil Murphy during his last hours in office.
Testimony was contentious throughout the afternoon. Some spoke out against the legislation, but most of the advocates on hand to testify were in support of the measures.
Story continues after gallery.
The members of the committee were split by party, with Assemblyman Paul Kanitra, R-Monmouth, by far the most vocally opposed.
Kanitra questioned each person who got up to testify, frequently drawing a reaction from the audience.
But it was the heartfelt testimony of the advocates about what the community is facing that seemed to move Assemblyman Joe Danielsen, D-Middlesex, the committee’s chair, who at one point compared the actions of Immigration and Customs Enforcement to Kristallnacht in Germany in 1938.
Cuqui Rivera, the outreach director for the Latino Action Network Foundation, spoke of the fear and terror in the community over getting taken into custody even as law-abiding residents.
“When people are going to the immigration office to fix their stuff legally, the way they are supposed to, and they’re being pulled out of the hallways and courtrooms, how does that work?” she asked. “How does that work when they are trying to follow due process going there?”
What would bills do?
The first of the two bills that were pocket-vetoed would codify the state attorney general’s Immigrant Trust Directive. The new bill is not exactly the same as the one Murphy rejected, which included further measures that required a conviction before state agencies were required to turn over people in detention.
The second bill, known as the Privacy Protection Act, would limit health care facilities and government agencies from collecting personal information, including immigration status.
The third bill in this bundle was introduced in the last legislative session but didn’t make its way to the governor’s desk.
It would ban immigration agents from wearing masks in the New Jersey. That comes at a time when the actions of ICE and the Trump administration are under scrutiny after agents shot and killed two American citizens in Minnesota.
Agents are frequently seen wearing neck gaiters and balaclavas to cover their faces during raids and interactions with the public.
The bill would require agents to present identification before detaining or arresting someone. That identification would have to include an official uniform, complete with the agency’s insignia, showing a department-issued ID, badge, tag or label, or verbal disclosure of the officer’s full name and agency.
There would be a few exemptions on masks, such as during undercover assignments, for health reasons with a doctor’s note, and for protection against smoke during a state of emergency.
The Immigrant Trust Directive was implemented by former New Jersey Attorney General Gurbir Grewal in 2018. It says state and local police cannot participate in federal immigration enforcement operations or keep someone detained only to comply with a civil immigration detainer request. The directive includes exemptions if the immigrant is charged with or convicted of a “violent or serious offense” or subject to a final order of removal by a judge.
Sherrill has spoken out in support of restricting unidentified masks for law enforcement since the beginning of the campaign, accusing agents of “undermining what law enforcement should do to keep people safe.”
The legislation is part of an ongoing national conversation regarding the actions of federal officers from ICE and Customs and Border Protection. Those agents have engaged in aggressive, controversial raids as part of the restrictive immigration policies implemented by President Donald Trump since he took office again in January 2025. Trump has repeatedly said he intends to deport at least 11 million undocumented immigrants, though raids have included residents and properly documented individuals as well.
Clashes in Minneapolis have drawn considerable attention since federal immigration agents killed resident Renee Nicole Good on Jan. 7 and Alex Pretti on Jan. 24. The federal government has defended its actions.