NEWARK, N.J. – Gov. Phil Murphy on Saturday strongly criticized the U.S. Department of Justice’s new lawsuit targeting four New Jersey cities over their sanctuary policies, calling the legal challenge an overreach that misrepresents the state’s approach to public safety and immigration enforcement.
The federal lawsuit, filed Friday in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey, names Newark, Jersey City, Paterson, and Hoboken, along with their mayors, city councils, and police departments. It accuses them of obstructing federal immigration operations through policies that limit cooperation with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP).
“These efforts to shield illegal aliens within the Garden State are unlawful,” the complaint states, arguing the cities’ ordinances and executive orders violate the U.S. Constitution’s Supremacy Clause by interfering with federal law.
Federal prosecutors claim that the cities’ sanctuary policies—such as restrictions on honoring ICE detainers and barring immigration agents from municipal jails—are preventing federal authorities from detaining and removing certain noncitizens already in local custody, including individuals with prior convictions.
Governor Murphy responded sharply to the lawsuit, asserting that state policy remains lawful and effective. “The State of New Jersey is not a party to this lawsuit. Our Immigrant Trust Directive is settled law and has withstood judicial scrutiny,” he said.
DOJ outlines three constitutional claims
The 85-page federal filing argues that the challenged city policies create three legal conflicts. It claims the local measures obstruct the enforcement of immigration law, discriminate against federal immigration agencies, and attempt to regulate the federal government itself.
Specific examples in the complaint include Newark’s executive order barring ICE access to city-run facilities without court approval and prohibiting police from honoring ICE detainers absent a judicial warrant. Similar provisions are in place in Jersey City, Hoboken, and Paterson, according to the filing.
The DOJ states these measures result in ICE agents having to conduct more dangerous community arrests when local facilities release individuals despite pending detainers. The complaint says this increases operational risk for federal officers and the public.
The legal challenge cites multiple statutes, including sections of Title 8 of the U.S. Code, to argue that cities are violating federal law by limiting voluntary cooperation and refusing access to detainees.
City leaders named in federal filing
Named defendants include Newark Mayor Ras J. Baraka, Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop, Paterson Mayor André Sayegh, and Hoboken Mayor Ravi Bhalla, as well as city council presidents and police chiefs from each municipality. The complaint states these officials enacted and enforced local policies that intentionally hinder immigration enforcement efforts.
The DOJ alleges these actions create a “patchwork of obstruction” and amount to discriminatory treatment of ICE and CBP compared to other law enforcement agencies.
In his statement, Murphy defended New Jersey’s broader immigration approach: “The Directive has been a cornerstone of our public safety strategy—empowering law enforcement to focus on solving and prosecuting violent and serious crimes while ensuring that victims and witnesses of crimes can feel safe coming forward regardless of their immigration status.”
The lawsuit does not name the State of New Jersey as a defendant but challenges policies overlapping with the state’s Immigrant Trust Directive, which limits local law enforcement’s cooperation with civil immigration enforcement.
