We're not going to allow masked fed agents to terrorize our state," said Sherrill. "We've all seen them in videos - unknown, unnamed, unaccountable, chasing after citizens. Again - not here in the United States of America. We're not going to tolerate masked roving militias pretending to be law enforcement agents.

“These bills underscore that here in New Jersey, we still follow the Constitution and uphold the rule of law," she added. "My focus as governor remains on keeping the public safe. As we’ve seen across the country, Donald Trump’s untrained, unaccountable, masked ICE agents are putting people in danger. That’s why in New Jersey, we are protecting our communities – strengthening our protections, banning ICE agents from wearing masks, and protecting residents’ privacy from federal overreach."

Governor Sherrill signed the following legislation: 

A4071/S3521 (Park, Reynolds-Jackson, Rodriguez, Quijano/Timberlake, Johnson, Mukherji) – Codifies AG directive, “Strengthening Trust Between Law Enforcement and Immigrant Communities” 

SCS for S3114 and 3216/A1743 (Wimberly, Singleton, Scutari/Reynolds-Jackson, Quijano, Collazos-Gill, Rodriguez, Venezia) – Requires law enforcement officer to reveal facial identity during certain public interactions and to present sufficient identification prior to arresting or detaining person

A4070/S3522 (Quijano, Park, Greenwald/Ruiz, Zwicker, McKeon) – Establishes “Privacy Protection Act”; concerns collection and sharing of certain personal information

Lawmakers in attendance included Senate Majority Leader M. Teresa Ruiz, senator Britnee Timberlake, Senator Benie Wimberly, Senator Raj Mukherji, Senator Gordon Johnson, Assemblywoman Annette Quijano, Assemblywoman Ellen Park, Assemblyman Gabe Rodriguez, and Assemblywoman Alixon Collazos-Gill.

From the Governor:

Since taking office in January, Governor Sherrill has taken concrete steps to protect New Jersey residents and immigrant communities. Most recently, the governor and Attorney General joined with Roxbury Township to sue the federal government and stop a proposed ICE detention facility at a warehouse that would overwhelm community resources.

Last month, Governor Sherrill signed Executive Order No. 12 to strengthen public safety and protect New Jerseyans on state property. The executive order prohibits ICE agents from entering, accessing, or using nonpublic areas of state property for their operations unless authorized by a judicial warrant. The Office of the Attorney General launched a portal for residents to upload their interactions with ICE in New Jersey. The portal – which can be accessed at www.njoag.gov/portal – will help the state hold ICE accountable for their actions, including potential violations of the law. Governor Sherrill also launched a state website so New Jerseyans can quickly find information about their rights when interacting with federal agents. You can visit the website at nj.gov/knowyourrights.