TRENTON—Gov. Mikie Sherrill signed a law Thursday that could send masked federal immigration agents to jail for six months, a move that won rare GOP support. Two other bills related to sanctuary cities received the Governor’s signature.
Bramnick Breaks Ranks, Votes For ICE Mask Ban
Senator Jon Bramnick, a Republican from Morris County, was the only member of his party to break ranks, voting with Democrats to back the mask ban and require federal agents to show identification and refrain from covering their faces in schools and places of worship.
"I don't think people should be arresting people with masks on. This is not China. This is not Iran. This is the United States of America," Bramnick said. "It does not look like my country when people are arresting people and they have masks on. It's time to unmask everyone."
The mask ban cleared the Senate 24–14 and the Assembly 52–18 on March 23, while bills converting former Gov. Phil Murphy's 2018 Immigrant Trust Directive into state law passed by narrower margins.
Sen. Benjie Wimberly of Paterson cited the administration's hiring of January 6 Capitol riot participants as Border Patrol agents while arguing for the mask ban, referencing deaths in federal custody and questioning the qualifications of agents operating in New Jersey communities. Assemblyman Balvir Singh, a Democrat from Burlington County, described constituent fears during the debate: "I know the fear that does exist in our immigration communities."
The legislation prevents future governors from erasing Murphy's rules with a memo, mandating that state and local police cannot stop, question, arrest, or detain individuals based solely on immigration status. Officers must honor ICE custody requests only when accompanied by judicial warrants, not administrative detainers.
Violations by police officers remain administrative matters handled by the Attorney General's office. The law requires Acting Attorney General Matt Platkin to issue regulations within 120 days, but officers who violate the policy face administrative discipline, not criminal charges. In practical terms, a Newark cop who calls ICE on an undocumented resident faces no penalty beyond departmental discipline.
A-4070 Protects Immigrant Privacy
Assembly Bill 4070, the Privacy Protection Act, prohibits state agencies from collecting immigration status information or denying services based on immigration status, except where required by federal law. The bill passed the Senate 23–14 and the Assembly 52–21, with provisions involving the Department of Health delayed until March 2027 while all other sections took effect immediately.
The laws took effect immediately, setting up a possible summer court showdown with the Trump administration.
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Sources
• Bolts Mag, "New Jersey Democrats Pass Bills to Stop ICE Agents from Masking Up," March 25, 2026
• Jersey City Times, "New Jersey Senate Passes Critical Immigrant Protection Legislation," March 23, 2026
• New Jersey Monitor, "N.J. Democrats pass bill barring masked ICE agents from schools, churches," March 23, 2026
• NJ Senate Democrats Press Release, March 26, 2026
• NJ Legislature, S3521 Bill Text, 2026 Session
• NJ Legislature, S3114 Bill Text, 2026 Session
• NJ Legislature, A4070 Bill Text, 2026 Session
• Politico, "Masked immigration agents would be banned in schools, churches under bill passed by NJ Legislature," March 24, 2026