This bill (S 933) amends New Jersey law to criminalize knowingly harboring or helping an undocumented immigrant who has an outstanding arrest or immigration warrant. It makes this a fourth-degree crime (up to 18 months in prison or $10,000 fine), unless the person helped is a close family member (spouse, parent, child), in which case it becomes a lesser offense. The law also creates an exception: undocumented immigrants who are victims of human trafficking cannot be prosecuted for hindering their own apprehension. It directly affects individuals who knowingly assist undocumented immigrants evading lawful arrest or deportation.
New Jersey's Senate Resolution 26 condemns the federal government's 2025 policy of sharing private taxpayer information with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for immigration enforcement. It specifically criticizes a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Treasury Department and Homeland Security that the IRS's own attorneys warned likely violates federal privacy laws requiring tax data confidentiality. The resolution demands the federal government immediately reverse this policy to protect taxpayer privacy and prevent errors like mistaken deportations. It also notes that New Jersey's immigrant community contributed $1.3 billion in state and local taxes in 2022, emphasizing that sharing tax data could deter immigrants from filing taxes.
This bill prohibits New Jersey municipalities from passing ordinances that require local officials to refuse cooperation with federal immigration enforcement requests. It directly affects mayors, city councils, and county officials who might adopt "sanctuary city" policies. The law makes it a misdemeanor for officials to vote for such non-cooperation policies after the bill's effective date, with potential fines up to $1,000, jail time up to one year, or loss of office. It also requires local employees to comply with federal immigration requests as an ethics obligation and provides state defense/indemnification for officials cooperating with federal authorities, barring intentional misconduct.
This bill (S 1571) requires New Jersey's Attorney General to repeal a 2018 law enforcement directive (No. 2018-6) that restricted local police from cooperating with federal immigration authorities. The directive prohibited state and local officers from providing certain assistance to federal immigration officials when the sole purpose was enforcing immigration law, including sharing release dates for detained individuals or extending detention based solely on immigration requests. The bill states this directive threatens public safety and urges its immediate repeal. If passed, it would remove these restrictions, allowing law enforcement to share information with federal immigration authorities as permitted under federal law.
This bill (S 902) would allow New Jersey to enter a federal agreement enabling designated corrections officers to check an inmate’s immigration status *at the time of incarceration*. Specifically, these trained officers would investigate whether an inmate is a lawful U.S. resident and report findings to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) if the inmate’s presence is unauthorized under federal law. The agreement would outline required training, reporting protocols, and federal funding for the program. It directly affects inmates in New Jersey state and county correctional facilities and designated corrections officers who volunteer for this role.
New Jersey's S 903 requires state law enforcement officers (specifically the chief law enforcement officer or Superintendent of State Police) to notify federal immigration authorities when a non-citizen applies for a firearms purchaser identification card or handgun purchase permit. This bill amends existing state law by adding a new notification obligation for these specific applications, directly affecting non-citizen residents seeking to purchase or possess firearms. The requirement applies during the standard background check process for firearm permits, where retailers already submit background check information to the State Police. The bill does not change eligibility criteria for permits but mandates an additional reporting step to federal immigration authorities for non-citizen applicants.
New Jersey's S 851 requires correctional facilities (prisons, jails, youth detention centers) to verify the citizenship and legal immigration status of every inmate. If an inmate is not a U.S. citizen or cannot be confirmed as lawfully present, the facility must not release them - except to federal immigration officials - and must document this determination. Violations by facility staff could result in civil penalties set by the Corrections Commissioner. The bill directly affects non-citizen inmates and correctional facility operators, aiming to prevent releases into the general population for those unlawfully present in the U.S.
