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NJ lawmakers advance sweeping ‘Immigrant Trust Act’ to block local aid to federal immigration enforcement

Trenton, NJ – A new legislative proposal in New Jersey seeks to create a comprehensive firewall between local agencies and federal immigration enforcement by restricting state and local law enforcement, health care facilities, and other public entities from collecting or sharing data related to immigration status—regardless of federal requests.

The bill, known as the “New Jersey Immigrant Trust Act,” would impose strict limits on how government entities interact with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and similar agencies. Under the legislation, local police, state agencies, schools, public health facilities, and even libraries would be barred from aiding or facilitating civil immigration enforcement unless legally required to do so by a federal judge or magistrate.

The bill would ban law enforcement from questioning anyone about their citizenship, complying with ICE detainer requests, making arrests based on civil immigration warrants, or sharing databases with federal agents for immigration purposes. It would also prohibit any state or local participation in ICE-led enforcement operations and block access to nonpublic government facilities or individuals in custody without court orders.

The legislation mandates that all state, county, and municipal law enforcement officers complete mandatory training on the law’s provisions and requires agencies to revise their confidentiality policies to comply within one year. Model policies would be created for sensitive locations like hospitals, schools, shelters, and public libraries to prevent immigrant communities from being deterred from seeking services.

A key feature of the bill would require a formal written explanation from law enforcement if they plan to comply with a federal immigration request, and the subject of the request would have to be notified. It also mandates annual reporting on ICE-related interactions by all law enforcement agencies, including how many requests were received and granted, and what databases federal authorities accessed.

The Attorney General’s Office would be responsible for publishing these reports and ensuring compliance. Violations could be challenged under the state’s civil rights law.

The bill’s sponsors argue it will reinforce trust between immigrant communities and state institutions, while critics say it may obstruct federal immigration enforcement and limit cooperation with federal agencies.

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Key Points

New Jersey’s “Immigrant Trust Act” would restrict law enforcement and public agencies from assisting with federal immigration enforcement
The bill bans compliance with ICE detainers, civil immigration warrants, and data sharing unless required by a federal judge
Law enforcement agencies must publicly report immigration-related requests and justify any cooperation

New Jersey is poised to draw one of the country’s sharpest lines between state law and federal immigration enforcement.

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