Front-page article of The Lance, student-run newspaper of Livingston High School, Vol. 68 Issue 07
New Jersey Passes Laws to Restrict Ice Operations
On March 25, New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherill, during a ceremony in Newark, signed three laws—NJ S3521, NJ S3114, and NJ S3522—that each restricts the ability of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to act in the state.
NJ S3521 codified into law the Immigrant Trust Directive, NJ S3522 prohibits state and local agencies from giving sensitive information to ICE without a warrant, and NJ S3114 prohibits ICE agents in New Jersey from wearing face coverings, with the exception of undercover operatives or officers facing threats.
The set of laws was hailed as a triumph by immigrant rights advocates, but was criticized by the federal Department of Homeland Security (DHS). In a statement to NBC10, a DHS spokesperson described the legislation as “unconstitutional” and the politicians who supported it as “reckless” and “dangerous.” Sherill countered that they were intended to keep New Jersey residents safe and hold ICE accountable.
This was the not the first time New Jersey implemented measures to restrict ICE. In 2018, then-Attorney General Gurbir Grewal issued an order, known as the Immigrant Trust Directive. The order barred local and state agencies from cooperating with ICE, specifically preventing them from joining ICE’s 278(g) program—a program that, if joined, allowed local agencies to carry out some of ICE’s duties.
During the 2025 gubernatorial election, Republican nominee Jack Ciatterelli ran on reversing the 2018 order and increasing the state’s co-operation with ICE, while Sherill had run on further restricting the agency’s ability to operate in New Jersey.
Sherill would ultimately win the election, and on February 11, 2026, a month after assuming the governorship, she signed Executive Order No. 12, which prevented ICE from operating on state property. The move came alongside the launch of a new website that allows New Jersey residents to report their encounters with ICE. In addition to this, they launched nj.gov/knowyourrights to inform residents of their rights if they are approached by ICE agents.
These developments come amidst growing conflict between the DHS and the New Jersey state government. On March 20, 2026, Sherill and Attorney General Jennifer Davenport announced that alongside Roxbury Township, they would be suing ICE and the DHS over their plans to convert an abandoned warehouse into an ICE detention facility. Before that, on February 23, the Department of Justice opened a lawsuit against Executive Order No. 12, a case that, at the time of writing, is still ongoing.
For now, it remains to be seen if similar actions will continue to be taken against New Jersey’s new laws.
