N.J. Governor Signs Law Barring Masked Law Enforcement Officers

Gov. Mikie Sherrill signed a trio of sweeping immigration laws on Wednesday that dramatically restrict when New Jersey can cooperate with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents.

The moves mark one of the most aggressive state pushbacks against ICE and the immigration agenda of President Donald Trump’s administration.

“We’re not going to tolerate mass-roving militias pretending to be well-trained law enforcement agents,” Sherrill, a Democrat, said at the bill signing event in Newark.

One law, S3114, bars both local and federal law enforcement officers — including ICE — from wearing masks during interactions with the public in the state.

Another, S3522, prohibits state agencies from sharing a person’s immigration status without a warrant.

The last law, S3521, bars local police from assisting federal immigration authorities without a judicial warrant by making the state’s existing Immigrant Trust Directive policy permanent.

U.S. Department of Homeland Security officials said Wednesday they will not follow New Jersey’s law banning masks, which they said ICE agents wear so they will not get doxxed.

“Sanctuary politicians attempting to ban our federal law enforcement from wearing masks is despicable and a flagrant attempt to endanger our officers,” the agency said in a statement. “To be crystal clear: we will not abide by this unconstitutional ban.”

When it came to the law stopping state agencies from sharing data, Acting Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis said in an additional statement that “Those who are here legally and are not breaking other laws have nothing to fear.”

Bis said the agency’s aggressive posture was the result of local police not working with them.

“When politicians bar local law enforcement from working with DHS, our law enforcement officers have to have a more visible presence so that we can find and apprehend the criminals let out of jails and back into communities,” she said.

The laws build on a series of steps New Jersey Democrats have taken over the past year to restrict ICE’s footprint in the state, including an executive order Sherrill signed blocking the agency from state property and lawsuits aimed at stopping a detention facility in Roxbury from being built.

The Trump administration has sued the state over Sherrill’s executive order, escalating the tension between federal and state officials.

State Senate Majority Leader Teresa Ruiz — chair of the New Jersey Legislative Latino Caucus — praised the bills, calling them an important step toward protecting immigrant residents. She also referenced pushback to the bills while they were stalled in the state Legislature.

“This package of bills slumbered for a little bit under the Golden Dome, but the voices of the community continue to resonate,” said Ruiz, D‑Essex.

State Assemblywoman Annette Quijano, D- Union, one of the sponsors of the legislation, said the steps taken in the bills made the public safer. Under the new law, ICE agents are limited where they can go without a judicial warrant.

“This just reminds them that that you have to have a judicial warrant, this is not a fishing expedition,” Quijano said.

State Sens. Benjie Wimberly, D- Passaic, and Britnee Timberlake, D- Essex, who also sponsored the legislation were in attendance. Timberlake criticized ICE in stark terms.

“People who have been attracted to some of these positions in recent years simply because they’re bigots,” Timberlake said. “We’ve got to guard our state in every way, shape or form that we have and leverage every single right in our constitution in order to stand up against fascism.”

Wimberly issued a similar critique of Trump’s policies.

“He is not going after Europeans ... Everybody from South America to the Caribbean are under attack,” he said.

The trio of bills cleared the state Legislature after days of bitter debate that included a Republican‑led rally on the Statehouse steps, where opponents accused Democrats of undermining public safety. Inside the building, the Assembly debate included hours of impassioned floor speeches and emotional testimony from both supporters and opponents.

Assemblyman Greg Myhre, R- Ocean, was critical of the law that will cut down on intelligence sharing between the state and ICE and other federal agencies.

“This bill blocks state, county and local law enforcement from coordinating with federal agencies, proof Trenton Democrats have learned nothing from recent history,” he said. “The 9/11 Commission made clear that siloed information and lack of cooperation put lives at risk.”

State Sen. Michael Testa, R- Cumberland, was also critical of the laws.

“The Governor’s decision to sign these bills into law is deeply disappointing and, frankly, dangerous for New Jersey families. It erects barriers where cooperation should exist, creating serious risks for public safety that puts communities in harm’s way,” Testa said.

“New Jersey deserves better than performative legislation that prioritizes politics over public safety,” he added.

Civil rights organizations called the passage of the bills a victory for New Jersey.

“The Trump administration’s cruel immigration agenda has been inflicting violence, chaos, and civil rights abuses on families and communities, and New Jersey cannot sit idly by as our neighbors are killed, injured, and terrorized by lawless federal agents,” said ACLU New Jersey strategist Ami Kachalia.

Democratic‑led states across the country have passed similar anti‑ICE laws, many of which have been challenged in court.

“This legislation protects no one, will face legal challenges and is likely to be struck down,” said Myhre, one of the Republicans who opposed the bills. “Republicans have warned about this approach to illegal immigration and public safety. They can’t say they weren’t warned. This is hubris over prudence.”

Sherrill said her administration is prepared for litigation and pointed to New Jersey’s previous court victories over the Trump administration, including in disputes involving the Gateway Tunnel funding.

“We know the administration has challenged some of these measures in the past,” Sherrill said. “We beat them in court then and we’re happy to meet them in court again if they decide to sue now.”

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