Trenton, NJ – Friday — With the clock ticking toward a high-stakes November election, New Jersey Democrats are racing to enshrine sweeping immigrant protections into state law before Republican Jack Ciattarelli can retake the governor’s office and dismantle them.
Immmigrant rights groups across the state are lobbying in overtime mode to persuade the state senate and assembly into fast-tracking a bill to codify Governor Phil Murphy’s executive order limiting cooperation with federal immigration authorities, fearing a GOP victory would bring its immediate repeal.
On Thursday, Muslim leaders and immigrant advocates flooded the Statehouse demanding urgent action, warning that communities are one election away from losing critical safeguards.
Assembly Bill 4987, known as the “New Jersey Immigrant Trust Act,” would make permanent Murphy’s sanctuary state directive by legally prohibiting state and local agencies from assisting in civil immigration enforcement without a judicial warrant. The law would block any future governor from unilaterally reversing it, setting a firm legal wall between New Jersey’s public services and federal immigration agencies.
Democratic lawmakers behind the bill are moving quickly in what’s being described by legislative insiders as a preemptive strike. Ciattarelli, the likely Republican nominee and runner-up in the last election, has pledged to repeal Murphy’s sanctuary order on “day one” if elected. Without legislative action, the entire policy could disappear with the stroke of a pen in January.
The bill has broad Democratic sponsorship and would apply to law enforcement, schools, hospitals, shelters, libraries, and any public entity or program. It forbids local agencies from detaining people based on immigration detainers, denies ICE access to government facilities without court orders, and bans agencies from collecting or disclosing immigration-related information unless strictly necessary.
Under the proposal, state and local police would be barred from sharing release dates of individuals in custody, handing over detainees to ICE, or allowing interviews without clear legal justification. The law also mandates written notice and explanation to any individual in custody if immigration officials make a request involving them.
Annual reports would be required from every law enforcement agency detailing interactions with ICE, with the Attorney General publishing the findings online and issuing yearly compliance updates to the Legislature and Governor.
Democrats are especially concerned that any delay could open the door for Ciattarelli to unravel what they see as years of progress on immigrant rights. The November election is widely viewed as one of the most competitive in recent state history, and the outcome could swing the direction of immigration policy overnight.
Groups representing undocumented immigrants and Muslim communities said on Thursday that the urgency could not be overstated. They demanded a legislative vote before the election and called the bill’s passage essential to ensure immigrants can access public services without fear.
The measure would also impose statewide policies on sensitive locations like schools, hospitals, shelters, and libraries, banning immigration enforcement activities on their premises and barring staff from gathering unnecessary immigration data. Each institution would be required to publicly display its adopted policies and comply with guidelines from the Attorney General’s office.
If passed, the law would instantly nullify any existing agreements between local agencies and federal immigration authorities that conflict with its provisions. It would also establish clear civil rights enforcement mechanisms to challenge violations in court.
Supporters say that codifying the policy now is the only way to prevent a post-election policy whiplash. The bill is awaiting action in the Assembly and is expected to move quickly in the coming weeks, with parallel legislation likely to follow in the Senate.
If the law is not in place by January and Ciattarelli wins, the current executive order protecting undocumented immigrants in New Jersey could be dismantled immediately.
