Pressure mounts on Gov. Sherrill to lock NJ’s Immigrant Trust Directive into law

🔴 Pressure is mounting on Gov. Mikie Sherrill to lock New Jersey’s Immigrant Trust Directive into law after Phil Murphy declined to sign a bill last session.

🔴 ️Lawmakers plan to reintroduce the bill, but it still must clear the Legislature and land on Sherrill’s desk—no sure thing.

🔴 Sherrill has criticized ICE actions publicly, yet she campaigned with the same legal concerns Murphy cited in his refusal to sign.

Pressure is building on New Jersey’s new governor, Mikie Sherrill, to take a stand on one of the most contentious public-safety and immigration issues in Trenton: whether to permanently codify the state’s Immigrant Trust Directive into law.

The directive, first issued under former Gov. Phil Murphy, limits how state and local law enforcement cooperate with federal immigration authorities. Supporters argue it builds trust between police and immigrant communities. Critics say it handcuffs officers and interferes with federal law enforcement.

Murphy had the chance to turn the policy into statute. He didn’t.

Now the spotlight shifts to Sherrill.

What is the Immigrant Trust Directive — and why it’s controversial

The Immigrant Trust Directive restricts when and how New Jersey law enforcement agencies may assist U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), including limits on sharing certain information or honoring detainer requests without judicial warrants.

Advocacy groups and many Democrats argue the policy makes communities safer by encouraging undocumented immigrants to report crimes without fear of deportation.

On Thursday, U.S. Reps. LaMonica McIver, D-N.J. 10th District, Bonnie Watson Coleman, D-N.J. 12th District, and Rob Menendez, D-N.J. 8th District, told NJ Globe they will pressure Sherrill to act.

Law enforcement critics and Republicans counter that it undermines cooperation with federal authorities and creates public-safety risks.

That tension has followed the directive since its inception—and it’s only intensified with calls to cement it into law.

Murphy declined to sign — and Sherrill echoed his concerns

During the final legislative session of Murphy’s administration, lawmakers passed a bill to codify the directive. Murphy declined to sign it, citing legal and operational concerns, including whether statutory language could unintentionally interfere with law enforcement discretion or invite litigation.

When she was running for governor, Sherrill expressed similar reservations.

While supportive of immigrant communities, she stopped short of endorsing full codification, signaling unease with locking a complex executive policy into statute without changes. That campaign trail caution now matters as advocates urge her to go further than her predecessor.

Sherrill criticizes ICE, but stops short of an endorsement

Sherrill’s comments on immigration enforcement have drawn renewed attention since she took office. Appearing on MSNBC’s Morning Joe, she sharply criticized ICE actions in New Jersey, raising concerns about enforcement tactics and their impact on families and communities. Sherrill branded ICE agents as President Donald Trump's "proto militia."

Those remarks energized supporters of codification, who see them as a signal that Sherrill may be more receptive than Murphy.

But criticism of ICE does not automatically translate into support for this specific bill. The governor has not committed to signing legislation that mirrors what Murphy left unsigned—and that ambiguity is fueling the current pressure campaign.

What happens next: the legislative hurdles ahead

Even if Sherrill were inclined to sign the bill, the process is far from automatic.

Sponsors say the legislation will be reintroduced in the new session, but it must:

✔ Be refiled and move through committee hearings.

✔ Win passage in the full Legislature—hardly guaranteed given lingering opposition.

✔ Reach the governor’s desk, where Sherrill must decide whether to sign, veto, or seek changes.

Each step presents political and policy landmines, especially for a new governor balancing progressive demands with law enforcement concerns and swing-district lawmakers.

For Sherrill, the Immigrant Trust Directive represents an early test of leadership style and priorities. Does she maintain the careful distance she kept on the campaign trail—or does mounting pressure push her to draw a sharper line than Phil Murphy ever did?

Either way, Trenton is watching closely.

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