Steinhardt challenges sanctuary state status with bill

As the governor and attorney general promise to resist President-elect Donald Trump when they deem necessary, a Republican legislator introduced a bill challenging New Jersey’s status as a “sanctuary state.”

State Sen. Doug Steinhardt’s (R-Lopatcong) bill would require law enforcement agencies in New Jersey state to inform federal authorities if they arrest anyone who is inside the United States without authorization, according to a release. The bill is unlikely to pass in the Democratic legislature but falls in line with rhetoric from Trump, who has pledged to deport illegal immigrants en masse.

The bill would give law enforcement agencies 24 hours to report an arrest.

“We cannot ignore the need for cooperation between state and federal authorities to ensure the efficient and economic enforcement of our laws,” Steinhardt said in a release. “This bill seeks to do that, to safeguard the general public, protect those who are here legally or seeking legal asylum, and ensure that individuals who are here illegally and commit crimes are held accountable.”