Immigration

This bill amends New Jersey law to prohibit the Motor Vehicle Commission from prompting non-citizens to register to vote during driver's license or ID applications. It establishes a system where the MVC automatically shares the contact and citizenship information of applicants who provide proof of U.S. citizenship with the state election office, provided those individuals are not already registered. Once the election office verifies eligibility, it registers the person to vote and sends a notice allowing them to decline or affiliate with a political party. The legislation explicitly states that the MVC cannot request citizenship documents solely for voter registration purposes and that existing voter registration rules remain unchanged.

This bill codifies New Jersey's Attorney General's "Strengthening Trust Between Law Enforcement and Immigrant Communities" directive into law. It directly affects all New Jersey state, county, and municipal law enforcement agencies and officers by prohibiting them from: (1) stopping or detaining people based solely on immigration status, (2) asking about immigration status except during specific criminal investigations, and (3) sharing personal information with federal immigration authorities for immigration enforcement purposes. The law clarifies that officers' primary duty is enforcing state criminal laws, not federal immigration law, and emphasizes that this does not prevent enforcing state criminal laws. The goal is to build trust in immigrant communities and ensure law enforcement resources focus on public safety rather than immigration enforcement.

This New Jersey bill establishes the "Privacy Protection Act" to limit how government agencies and healthcare facilities collect and share certain personal information. It prohibits them from requesting details like immigration status, citizenship, social security numbers, or tax IDs unless necessary for specific public services, benefits, or healthcare delivery (with healthcare exceptions for patient safety). The bill requires written consent in the person's preferred language for sharing any collected data, detailing exactly what will be shared, why, and confirming consent is voluntary without retaliation. It also bans selling or sharing vehicle license plate data except under court orders, subpoenas, or with explicit written consent, and mandates government entities to update privacy policies within one year.

This bill (S 3521) codifies New Jersey's Attorney General's "Strengthening Trust Between Law Enforcement and Immigrant Communities" directive into law. It prohibits state, county, and municipal law enforcement officers from stopping, questioning, arresting, or detaining individuals based solely on immigration status or federal immigration violations. The law also bans officers from asking about immigration status (except when directly relevant to investigating a specific crime) or sharing personal data like Social Security numbers, license details, or addresses with federal immigration authorities for enforcement purposes. The bill explicitly affirms that law enforcement must focus on state criminal law enforcement, not federal immigration enforcement, to maintain community trust and public safety.

This bill prohibits New Jersey government entities and healthcare facilities from collecting or sharing certain personal information, including immigration status, citizenship, birthplace, Social Security numbers, and tax IDs, except when necessary to provide public services or benefits. It prevents these entities from disclosing such information publicly, except under specific legal circumstances like court orders, subpoenas, or when required for election eligibility. The bill also specifically restricts the sale or sharing of automated license plate recognition data collected by government agencies. These provisions aim to limit unnecessary data collection and protect individuals seeking public services or healthcare.