TRENTON, NJ – New Jersey Democratic lawmakers have introduced a sweeping and deliberately bold-named proposal—the “Fight Unlawful Conduct and Keep Individuals and Communities Empowered (F.U.C.K. I.C.E.) Act”—aimed at curbing what they describe as unconstitutional or abusive enforcement practices by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Filed under Assembly Bill A4446, the measure would allow individuals to bring civil actions in state court for violations of constitutional rights related to immigration enforcement activities. Sponsors say the bill was written in direct response to recent ICE operations in North Jersey and along the Hudson County border that lawmakers claim targeted immigrants indiscriminately and created fear in local communities.
Assemblyman Ravi Bhalla (D-Hoboken), one of the prime sponsors, said the act “sends a clear message that New Jersey will not stand idly by while federal agents violate residents’ civil liberties under the guise of immigration enforcement.”
Part of a larger anti-ICE legislative package
The F.U.C.K. I.C.E. Act is one of several bills in what Democratic leaders have labeled the 2026 Anti-ICE Legislative Package, designed to reduce cooperation between state and federal immigration authorities. Other bills include:
- A4302, banning former ICE agents from obtaining public employment in New Jersey, including law enforcement and teaching positions.
- A4300, imposing a 50% tax on private detention facilities operating under federal contracts in the state.
- A4301, criminalizing interference by federal agents at state and local crime scenes.
- A4078, prohibiting ICE from using state-owned property as operational staging areas.
“This is about accountability and protecting the Constitution,” said Assemblywoman Annette Quijano (D-Union). “Federal agencies do not have free rein to trample civil rights in New Jersey.”
Supporters say bill reinforces state sovereignty
Under the proposal, residents who allege constitutional violations stemming from immigration enforcement could sue federal officers or agencies in New Jersey Superior Court. The bill’s text explicitly references the Fourth and Fourteenth Amendments, asserting that unlawful detention, racial profiling, and denial of due process would constitute actionable offenses.
The legislation is part of a broader immigrant protection effort also advancing through the Legislature, including the Immigrant Trust Directive codification bill (S-3521/A-4071), which permanently limits local police cooperation with ICE, and the Privacy Protection Act (S-5037/A-4309), which bars state agencies from sharing personal data with federal immigration authorities.
Governor Mikie Sherrill recently reinforced the state’s stance with Executive Order No. 12, prohibiting ICE operations on state property without a judicial warrant.
Critics call move “political theater”
Republican lawmakers and some law enforcement groups have blasted the F.U.C.K. I.C.E. Act as provocative and legally questionable, arguing it could invite federal lawsuits and hinder legitimate law enforcement cooperation. “This is not policymaking—it’s grandstanding,” said one GOP legislator, who called the bill’s acronym “an embarrassment to the institution.”
Despite the controversy, Democratic sponsors insist the name reflects the frustration of communities impacted by what they describe as “federal overreach.”
Key points:
- Bill A4446, “Fight Unlawful Conduct and Keep Individuals and Communities Empowered (F.U.C.K. I.C.E.) Act,” allows lawsuits over immigration-related constitutional violations
- Part of broader 2026 Anti-ICE legislative package introduced after ICE operations in North Jersey
- Supporters frame it as a civil rights measure; critics call it political theater