TRENTON, N.J. — Republican gubernatorial candidate Joseph Rullo announced his intention to dismantle New Jersey’s sanctuary state policies if elected, pledging to give federal immigration authorities access to immigrant driver’s license records and enforce cooperation between local law enforcement and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Rullo stated he would immediately end New Jersey’s status as a sanctuary state, a policy supported by current Democratic Governor Phil Murphy. His plan includes mandating that police departments, jails, and sheriff’s offices statewide comply with ICE detainer requests to prevent violent offenders from being released back into communities.
“New Jersey would go from a sanctuary state to a state of law and order,” Rullo said, aligning himself with the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement strategy. Rullo said he agrees with Homeland Security Director Tom Homan’s stance that sanctuary policies endanger public safety and vowed to collaborate closely with federal authorities to enhance deportation efforts.
Under Rullo’s proposed changes, ICE and Homeland Security officials would be granted access to New Jersey’s immigrant driver’s license database.
The database, created under a 2019 law allowing undocumented immigrants to obtain standard driver’s licenses, has been shielded from federal immigration authorities under Murphy’s administration. Rullo argues that this information is critical for identifying individuals who pose safety risks and should be prioritized for deportation.
Rullo also said he will use that database to cross-reference New Jersey voting records to make sure the voting rolls are wiped clean of illegal migrants who might have been registered to vote automatically when they got their driver’s license.
“When Trump starts mass criminal deportations, ICE and Homeland Security need to get the criminals out of the country directly from the jails,” Rullo said, criticizing Murphy’s policies, which he claims force ICE to conduct dangerous community raids.
“We should not put our federal agents at risk, and our communities at risk by forcing these agents to operate in our neighborhoods, putting local police, residents, federal agents, and the criminal migrants in harms way necessarily,” Rullo said.
The announcement has drawn sharp responses from immigrant advocacy groups, who argue that granting ICE access to driver’s license records would deter undocumented individuals from obtaining licenses, jeopardizing road safety and trust between immigrant communities and law enforcement.
Rullo’s proposal starkly contrasts with current state policies, signaling a significant shift in New Jersey’s approach to immigration enforcement if he succeeds in his gubernatorial bid.
