Sherrill signs bills to limit cooperation with ICE, bar law enforcement from wearing masks

Gov. Mikie Sherrill on Wednesday signed a trio of immigration-related bills that she said will protect the constitutional rights of New Jerseyans, over the objections of Republicans who say the bills stretch the law and will stifle law enforcement.

The Legislature sent the bills to her desk on Monday. The governor, who promised to challenge the Trump administration, moved to sign the legislation quickly.

“These bills are the product of community input and legislative deliberation, they protect people’s privacy and their rights, they strengthen trust between law enforcement and our communities, and they help make sure our government delivers for the people and the businesses it’s meant to serve,” Sherrill said in Newark.

One bill bars local, state, and federal law enforcement officers from wearing face coverings during routine duty — exceptions include undercover officers and those facing threats of retaliation, among other carveouts. The legislation is clearly meant to address Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents who have faced criticism for undertaking civil immigration enforcement operations with face coverings. Critics say the masks are meant to dodge accountability for aggressive tactics, while others argue the face coverings are needed to protect themselves from retribution.

“I can’t believe we have to say this, but in the United States of America, we’re not going to tolerate masked, roving militias pretending to be well-trained law enforcement agents,” she said.

The law could face a legal challenge. A federal judge struck down similar legislation in California, but New Jersey legislators say the bill was too narrow in scope, which opened it up to legal vulnerabilities. New Jersey legislators believe this week’s bill, which applies to all law enforcement officers, will hold up.

“If we need to, we’ll see them back in court,” Sherrill told reporters. “We keep winning there, so I assume we’ll win again.”

Another bill codifies the state’s Immigrant Trust Directive, which generally bars New Jersey police from cooperating with federal agents on civil immigration enforcement. Former Attorney General Gurbir Grewal implemented the Immigrant Trust Directive in 2018 to build trust between the state’s law enforcement agencies and immigrants.

“We want all victims and witnesses to feel safe reporting violent crimes without worrying that they’ll be deported for it,” Sherrill said.

Though the Immigrant Trust Directive was a signature policy of former Gov. Phil Murphy, he pocket-vetoed legislation that would have codified a slightly adjusted version of the directive.

The final bill to receive Sherrill’s signature on Wednesday will bar government entities and health care facilities from requesting information related to a person’s immigration status, citizenship status, place of birth, and Social Security number. Democrats say the provision will allow people worried about their privacy to access healthcare or government services without fear that their information could be used against them.

This is the latest of Sherrill’s moves to stifle ICE’s operations in the state. Last month, she signed an executive order banning federal officials from using state property as a staging ground to launch civil immigration enforcement. The U.S. Department of Justice sued over that executive order.

The state is also suing to stop ICE from converting a Roxbury warehouse into a detention center.

Republicans in both chambers fought the passage of the bill package. Assemblyman Paul Kanitra (R-Point Pleasant Beach) hosted a 90-minute rally in front of the Statehouse on Monday, featuring legislators and conservative influencers.

“Illegals are simply here to find what state is giving them the best deal, the most benefits, so they can make money to send back home,” Kanitra said at the rally. “It’s abhorrent, and it needs to stop. Let me ask you again, do you want to help us stop illegal immigration in this state and this country?”

But their opposition was to no avail. The bills cleared both chambers on Monday on largely party-line votes.

State Senate Majority Leader Teresa Ruiz thanked the governor for signing the bills quickly, saying the state was sending a message to the Trump administration with the legislation.

“The signing of these bills is more than just a protection of humanity,” she said. “It is an indication that we are seen in the spaces, that government is functioning on behalf of the families who contribute more than $1 billion to the state economy, that we are protecting people who only know New Jersey as their home.”