NEWARK, NJ – Governor Mikie Sherrill delivered a sharp rebuke of former President Donald Trump’s immigration enforcement tactics, comparing the federal use of masked Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents to “a Stasi-type force of secret police” during a recent discussion on sanctuary policies in New Jersey.
When asked how her administration would respond to ICE activity in New Jersey’s more than a dozen sanctuary cities, Sherrill dismissed the framing of the question, saying the issue was “far beyond” local sanctuary designations and instead about accountability and transparency in law enforcement.
“This isn’t about sanctuary or not sanctuary cities,” Sherrill said. “This goes far beyond that. This is about a basically Stasi-type force of secret police that wear masks, that are unidentifiable, that are unaccountable.”
She went on to criticize what she described as “blatant lies” from Trump administration officials about federal enforcement operations, saying New Jersey officers hold to a higher standard. “There is no police officer in the state of New Jersey that would act like that,” Sherrill added. “We have training that far surpasses any type of misconduct like that — and should anything untoward happen, that officer would be stopped immediately and prosecuted to the full extent of the law.”
“This isn’t about sanctuary or not sanctuary cities. This goes far beyond that. This is about a basically Stasi-type force of secret police that wear masks, that are unidentifiable, that are unaccountable, that have leadership in the Trump administration blatantly lying about what’s going on—when the American people can see the videos of exactly what’s happening,” she said. “There is no police officer in the state of New Jersey that would— a) act like that, because we have training that far surpasses any type of misconduct like that; or b) should anything untoward happen, the other agents with that police officer would stop that immediately, and that person would be prosecuted to the full extent of the law.”
Sherrill’s remarks come as her recently passed sanctuary state bill awaits implementation, codifying policies that limit cooperation between New Jersey law enforcement and federal immigration authorities. The move has drawn praise from immigrant advocates and criticism from Republican lawmakers who argue it undermines federal enforcement.
Key points:
• Governor Mikie Sherrill defends New Jersey’s sanctuary city policies
• Compares Trump-era ICE operations to “a Stasi-type force of secret police”
• Says New Jersey police would never tolerate similar unaccountable conduct
