TRENTON, New Jersey — New Jersey lawmakers advanced a package of immigration bills Thursday that would limit cooperation between local law enforcement and federal immigration agents, following the fatal shooting of a woman by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer in Minneapolis.
The three bills cleared the Assembly Appropriations Committee and the Senate Judiciary Committee and are expected to reach the full Legislature on Monday. Senate President Nicholas Scutari said he plans to support the measures, while cautioning that they could bring federal scrutiny and unintended consequences for the state.
The legislative push gained urgency after the killing of 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good during a civil immigration enforcement operation in Minnesota. Democratic lawmakers repeatedly cited the shooting during committee hearings, arguing it underscores the risks of aggressive federal immigration tactics.
One bill would codify New Jersey’s Immigrant Trust Directive, an existing attorney general policy that restricts state and local law enforcement from assisting ICE in most civil immigration matters. It would also prohibit racially influenced policing, require law enforcement agencies to establish procedures for certain visa requests, and mandate that prosecutors inform defendants of potential immigration consequences tied to criminal charges.
A second bill would establish protections for “sensitive locations,” including schools, health care facilities, and shelters, barring federal civil immigration enforcement on those premises. A third measure would limit when government entities and health care providers can request information such as immigration status.
Republicans on both committees opposed the bills, arguing they undermine public safety and improperly regulate federal authority. Democratic sponsors countered that courts have repeatedly upheld the directive’s legality and that states cannot be compelled to use local resources for federal immigration enforcement.
Gov. Phil Murphy, whose term ends January 20, has not said whether he would sign the bills if they reach his desk.
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