3 New Laws Sherrill Signed Set To Stymie Trump

TRENTON, NJ — Gov. Mikie Sherrill on Wednesday signed three bills into law aimed at limiting cooperation with federal immigration authorities, protecting residents' personal data and requiring law enforcement officers — including federal agents — to identify themselves during arrests and detentions.

The signing comes as ICE arrests in New Jersey have surged since President Donald Trump returned to the White House in January 2025. ICE arrests in New Jersey increased 110% between 2024 and 2025, according to the Deportation Data Project. The Trump administration directed ICE officials to increase immigrant arrests to at least 1,200 a day nationally with the New Jersey ICE field office expected to make a minimum of 75 daily arrests. New Jersey has one of the largest immigrant population in the country.

The first bill, S-3114, known as the "Law Enforcement Officer Protection Act," was sponsored by Sens. Benjie Wimberly, Troy Singleton and Senate President Nick Scutari. It requires all officers — including federal agents — to show their faces and provide visible identification, such as a badge or agency insignia, before arresting or detaining someone. Limited exceptions apply for undercover work, medical reasons, protection against chemical agents, or severe weather.

"The trust local police have worked hard to build in our towns and cities is being undermined by unidentifiable ICE agents who seek to intimidate our neighborhoods while avoiding accountability," Wimberly, D-Passaic/Bergen, said.

Scutari, D-Union/Somerset, said federal immigration officers should be held to the same standards as their state counterparts. "In New Jersey, we respect the professionalism of our law enforcement agencies and the standards of accountability they follow," he said. "This is vital in maintaining the public's trust in the rule of law."

The bill drew opposition from Sen. Holly Schepisi, R-Bergen, who criticized it for focusing solely on law enforcement officers. She proposed an amendment that would make it a disorderly persons offense to wear a mask while committing a crime like rioting or looting, but that amendment was tabled by her Democratic colleagues.

"This is about balance and basic fairness. If transparency is the goal, it should not apply to only one group," Schepisi said, adding that the bill could lead to the targeting of federal agents and their families, according to New Jersey Monitor.

A second bill, S-3522, known as the "Privacy Protection Act," was sponsored by Sens. M. Teresa Ruiz, Andrew Zwicker and John McKeon. It bars government agencies and health care facilities from collecting personal information — including immigration status, Social Security numbers, and place of birth — unless strictly necessary to provide a requested service. Any data collected must be kept confidential, and individuals now have the right to sue if their data is shared without consent.

Senate Majority Leader Ruiz, D-Essex/Hudson, said immigrants and their families have already grown hesitant to access essential services under the current political climate. "No one should be afraid to seek health care or public services because of the personal information they are asked to provide," she said.

Zwicker, D-Middlesex/Mercer/Somerset/Hunterdon, said the law is a direct response to federal data practices. "As federal authorities use government records for their aggressive and mean-spirited immigration enforcement, New Jersey must strengthen our privacy protections to prevent harm," he said.

The third bill, S-3521, sponsored by Sens. Britnee Timberlake, Gordon Johnson and Raj Mukherji, writes the state's existing "Immigrant Trust Directive" into law — giving the landmark 2018 directive, which has withstood legal challenges in state and federal courts, the force of statute. The law draws a clear distinction between state and local law enforcement, who enforce state criminal law, and federal immigration authorities like ICE. It limits the voluntary assistance state law enforcement may provide to federal authorities, bans so-called 287(g) agreements and prohibits officers from stopping, questioning, arresting or detaining anyone solely based on actual or suspected immigration status.

Timberlake, D-Essex, invoked history in defending the legislation.

"Lessons of the Nuremberg trials remind us 'just following orders' is not an excuse to violate fundamental constitutional and human rights. When my future grandchildren read about this moment in history, they will know we used the law to protect people," Timberlake said.

Mukherji, D-Hudson, framed the bills as a public safety measure. "When victims and witnesses are afraid to come forward, violent offenders remain on the streets," he said. "This legislation strengthens trust between our diverse communities and state and local law enforcement."

Nedia Morsy, director of Make the Road New Jersey, which represents nearly 7,000 members statewide, called the signings a direct result of sustained grassroots pressure.

"The Trump administration has been weaponizing local police, private personal data, and masked federal agents across the country, and New Jersey just drew a hard line," Morsy said. "These new laws will protect personal information from being used to target people and stop local police from being pulled into immigration enforcement."

She cautioned, however, that the work is not finished. "These protections need to be the floor and not a ceiling," Morsy said. "The threats coming out of Washington are evolving every day, so our laws need to keep up — that means closing loopholes that leave people exposed and making sure every person in the state has their rights protected."

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