This New Jersey bill (A 213) makes it a crime to knowingly hide undocumented immigrants who have outstanding arrest or immigration warrants. It imposes criminal penalties - up to 18 months in jail or a $10,000 fine - for harboring such individuals, including family members like spouses or parents. The law also criminalizes hindering an immigrant’s deportation when the person knows a warrant exists. It includes an exception: undocumented immigrants who were victims of human trafficking during the time they avoided deportation may use this as a defense. The bill directly affects undocumented immigrants with active warrants and anyone providing them shelter.
This New Jersey Assembly Resolution (AR 20) urges the U.S. Congress to remove federal court jurisdiction over cases where states require undocumented immigrant children to pay school tuition. It also asks the Supreme Court to overturn *Plyler v. Doe* (1981), which established that states cannot deny public education to undocumented children. The resolution does not create new law but formally requests federal action to return education policy authority to states. It directly addresses how states may fund education for undocumented students, referencing the Supreme Court's conflicting rulings on the issue. This is a non-binding request, not a legislative proposal.
This bill proposes to prohibit local New Jersey governments from allowing noncitizens to vote in local elections. It declares any ordinance or action permitting noncitizen voting as "null and void" and states that approving such measures violates elected officials' oaths to "faithfully, impartially and justly perform" duties. The bill specifically targets local elections (not state or federal) and applies to mayors, council members, and other local officials. It is currently pending before the legislature and would amend existing law to clarify that local governments lack authority to permit noncitizen voting.
This bill requires New Jersey employers to verify the work authorization of all employees using the federal E-Verify system. It prohibits employers from knowingly employing unauthorized aliens and imposes a $10,000 penalty per violation. Employers found in violation must terminate unauthorized employment, submit quarterly E-Verify reports for three years, and pay fines to the state general fund. The law targets employers who hire undocumented workers, aiming to protect legal residents' job opportunities and state tax revenues.
This bill (S 1349) requires New Jersey's Secretary of State to adjust census data used for redistricting by excluding all noncitizens - regardless of immigration status - from the population count. It directly affects how legislative, county, and municipal districts are drawn in New Jersey, as the adjusted population (without noncitizens) would become the basis for redistricting. The key mechanism mandates that the Secretary of State modify data from the Census Bureau to remove noncitizen populations before creating voting districts. This change would alter district boundaries to reflect only citizen populations for representation purposes. The bill takes effect immediately upon enactment.
This bill requires individuals or employers receiving state benefits (such as contracts, loans, tax breaks, grants, or licenses) to certify that their presence in the U.S. is authorized under federal law. Employers must also certify they made a good-faith effort to verify employees’ work eligibility under federal law. The New Jersey Department of Labor must provide a standardized form for this certification, including a statement that knowingly false claims may result in penalties. The law applies to all state agencies and aims to incorporate the certification into existing application processes, not create a new system. Penalties only apply to "knowingly and willfully" false statements.
This bill prohibits New Jersey state funds from being used to provide legal assistance or services to immigrants facing detention or deportation based on their immigration status. It directly affects public agencies and nonprofit organizations that might receive state funding for such legal aid, blocking direct state payments or funds flowing through contracts or grants. The key mechanism bans all state financial support - whether direct or indirect - for legal help related to immigration detention or deportation cases. The bill takes immediate effect and specifically targets funding that would otherwise support services like those proposed in Governor Murphy's FY2025 budget for Legal Services of New Jersey.
New Jersey's S 1046, the "New Jersey Laken Riley Act," establishes procedures for law enforcement when arresting undocumented immigrants charged with specific serious crimes. It applies to individuals not citizens, lawful residents, or authorized under certain federal programs (like DACA or asylum) who face charges including first-degree crimes, motor vehicle offenses causing injury, or federal aggravated felonies/crimes of violence. The bill requires officers to verify immigration status via DHS; if confirmed as unlawfully present, officers must comply with federal immigration detainers and prosecutors must seek pretrial detention, overriding state bail reform laws. The bill repeals prior state laws restricting immigration enforcement and ends the "Immigrant Trust Directive" that limited cooperation with federal immigration authorities.
This bill (S 369) requires New Jersey law enforcement agencies, courts, and correctional facilities to notify federal immigration authorities within 24 hours when arresting or convicting non-citizens unlawfully present in the U.S. who are charged with specific crimes like violent offenses, drug-related crimes, theft, or robbery. It applies to all law enforcement agencies, sentencing courts, correctional facilities holding convicted non-citizens, and parole/probation officers supervising them. The notification triggers deportation proceedings under federal immigration enforcement. The bill defines "federal immigration authority" as officers from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Customs and Border Protection, or Homeland Security.
This bill (S 1521) amends New Jersey's workers' compensation law to exclude undocumented immigrant workers from receiving workers' compensation and temporary disability benefits. It specifically states that employees who are not lawfully admitted for permanent residence, lawfully present for employment, or permanently residing in the U.S. under color of law at the time of injury are ineligible for these benefits. The key mechanism is an amendment to R.S.34:15-36, which defines who qualifies as an "employee" for benefits purposes. This change directly affects undocumented immigrant workers who sustain work-related injuries in New Jersey, denying them access to these specific financial protections.
