New Jersey governor signs laws restricting state participation in immigration enforcement

By Christian Martinez

March 25 (Reuters) – New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill signed three bills on Wednesday aimed at limiting state officials’ participation in federal immigration enforcement.

The signings are the latest moves by New Jersey in opposition to the Trump administration’s immigration agenda. The state last week filed a lawsuit to block a proposed detention center.

The laws signed by Sherrill require law enforcement to “reveal facial identity during certain public interactions” and provide identification before arresting or detaining someone. 

The move also limits the information, including immigration status, that local and state entities and health facilities can collect, according to a release from the governor’s office.

“These bills underscore that here in New Jersey, we still follow the Constitution and uphold the rule of law,” Sherrill said in a statement.

Department of Homeland Security Acting Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis in a statement called the laws “despicable and a flagrant attempt to endanger our officers” as well as an “unconstitutional ban.”

(Reporting by Christian Martinez; Editing by Cynthia Osterman)