TRENTON — Alina Habba, the interim U.S. attorney for New Jersey and a former personal attorney to Donald Trump, is leading a federal investigation into Governor Philip D. Murphy over remarks he made earlier this year about housing a migrant woman, according to a report published by The New York Times.
The probe stems from a statement Murphy made in February, when he said he was prepared to house a woman with uncertain immigration status at his family’s residence in Middletown.
After that story was broken by Shore News Network, a Murphy spokesperson said the comment was hypothetical and not real.
Murphy challenged the Department of Justice to ‘come get her’ in a comment made before a far-left audience.
Federal agents have since sought interviews with at least four individuals in connection to the comments, according to two sources familiar with the matter. One of the sources told The Times that the governor has been subpoenaed, though he has not yet been interviewed.
The investigation appears to be distinct from any existing Justice Department inquiries into New Jersey’s so-called sanctuary policies, which limit cooperation with federal immigration enforcement. Those policies were upheld by a federal appeals court and have not shown visible signs of further federal scrutiny.
Habba, who assumed the interim U.S. attorney role earlier this year, has drawn attention for directing her office to scrutinize Democratic officials and state immigration policy. In addition to the probe involving Murphy’s personal housing remarks, Habba previously announced investigations into both the governor and New Jersey Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin over broader immigration practices.
She had also threatened to investigate New Jersey U.S. Senator Cory Booker.
