TRENTON, NJ – New Jersey Democrats aren’t messing around in 2026. With a veto-proof total control of state government, their first act of the new year was to make Phil Murphy’s sanctuary state order the official law of the land.
A new measure introduced in the New Jersey Assembly aims to permanently codify the state’s “Strengthening Trust Between Law Enforcement and Immigrant Communities” directive, reinforcing limits on how local and state police can assist federal immigration authorities.
Assembly Bill 6310, sponsored by Assemblywoman Ellen J. Park (D-Bergen) and co-sponsored by Assemblyman Raj Mukherji Singh, was introduced January 2. The legislation formally establishes into state law many of the policies outlined in the 2018 Attorney General directive that separated state and local law enforcement duties from federal civil immigration enforcement.
Under the bill, police officers would be barred from stopping, questioning, arresting, or detaining individuals solely based on immigration status or suspected violations of federal immigration law. They would also be prohibited from providing federal authorities access to non-public information, detention facilities, or individuals in custody unless required by a judicial warrant or exigent circumstances.
The bill includes exceptions allowing cooperation with federal authorities in criminal investigations, joint task forces unrelated to immigration enforcement, and compliance with valid court orders. It also bans state and local law enforcement agencies from entering or renewing Section 287(g) agreements that deputize local officers to perform federal immigration duties.
A key section of the legislation mandates that law enforcement agencies establish clear procedures for handling U-visa and T-visa certification requests for victims of certain crimes or human trafficking within 120 days. Agencies would be required to post these procedures publicly, ensuring victims have access to the certification process that may allow them to remain lawfully in the United States.
The measure further outlines courtroom protections for defendants, requiring prosecutors to confirm at a first appearance that individuals have been informed about possible immigration consequences of criminal charges and consular notification rights. Prosecutors must also make individualized bail assessments without presuming that non-citizens pose a flight risk.
Every law enforcement agency would be required to notify detainees when federal immigration authorities request interviews, notifications of release, or continued detention, and provide copies of any related documents. Agencies must also file annual reports on any assistance provided to immigration enforcement, which the Attorney General would make publicly available online.
To ensure compliance, the bill directs the Division of Criminal Justice to create statewide training for all law enforcement officers within 60 days of enactment and requires county prosecutors to conduct public outreach to build trust between immigrant communities and law enforcement.
If passed, the bill would enshrine into law longstanding policies that supporters say are essential to maintaining cooperation between immigrant communities and local police while preserving law enforcement resources for state criminal matters.
A new bill introduced in the New Jersey Assembly seeks to make the state’s immigrant trust directive permanent, limiting local police involvement in federal civil immigration enforcement.
