Masked ICE agents could face jail under explosive New Jersey bill

🔴 New Jersey lawmakers are pushing to ban ICE agents from wearing masks.

🔴 The proposal follows a series of new restrictions on ICE activity under Gov. Mikie Sherrill.

🔴 The mask ban has Republican support as the debate around ICE funding surges.

TRENTON — Support is growing in New Jersey for a ban on ICE agents wearing masks during immigration enforcement operations.

Recent anti-ICE sentiment has been fueled by the shooting deaths of Renee Goode and Alex Pretti at the hands of federal agents in Minneapolis, Minnesota. In response, Homeland Security is withdrawing 700 of the roughly 3,000 federal officers deployed around the Twin Cities.

New Jersey Democrats push sweeping limits on ICE enforcement

In New Jersey, Democrats are fiercely pushing various restrictions on ICE operations. Hours before he left office, former Gov. Phil Murphy signed the Safe Communities Act. It banned ICE operations in sensitive locations, including schools, hospitals, shelters, houses of worship, and courthouses.

Gov. Mikie Sherrill said the state will ban ICE activity from state property. And on The Daily Show, Sherrill said the state will create an online portal that would allow residents to upload cell phone videos of ICE operations.

Mask ban targets ICE accountability and public trust

The latest restriction to gain support is a ban on ICE agents from wearing masks while engaging with the public. New Jersey 101.5 has reached out to ICE and the Enforcement and Removal Operations Newark field office for comment.

State Sen. Jon Bramnick, R-Somerset, said he will sponsor the bill (S3112) to make the mask ban law in New Jersey. Bramnick said that the public should be able to see ICE agents' faces to ensure accountability and reduce confusion and fear.

"This legislation is not about hindering law enforcement from doing its job. It is about reinforcing trust, clarity, and professionalism while allowing for reasonable exceptions when safety or sensitive operations truly require them," said Bramnick.

READ MORE: ICE arrests in New Jersey fuel fierce immigration debate

Bill outlines exceptions, penalties and bipartisan sponsorship

The bill includes exceptions for undercover officers and for protection against exposure to smoke during a state of emergency. It also allows officers to wear a medical-grade mask or an N95 respirator, but only if they have a statement from a licensed physician.

Officers who wear masks while engaging with the public would be charged with a disorderly persons offense. That carries a punishment of up to six months in jail, plus a fine of between $500 to $1,000.

In the state Senate, the bill was introduced by Democrat Sens. Vin Gopal and Benjie Wimberly. Its sister bill in the General Assembly has three primary sponsors. A previous version of the legislation was introduced in November but did not gain traction.

Trump’s ICE funding surge collides with growing state resistance

President Donald Trump promised the largest mass deportation operation in U.S. history, and achieving his goal wouldn't have been possible without funding from the big tax and spending cuts bill passed by Republicans in Congress.

Despite the recent pushback, what Trump called the “big, beautiful bill” is essentially on autopilot through 2029, the year he's scheduled to finish his term and leave office.

The legislation essentially doubled annual Homeland Security funding, adding $170 billion to be used over four years. Of that, ICE, which typically receives about $10 billion a year, was provided $30 billion for operations and $45 billion for detention facilities.

However, funding has recently come into question. Trump and Congress agreed to separate funding for the Department of Homeland Security from a larger spending bill that enables the federal government to continue operations.

Homeland Security recently announced it had arrested and deported about 600,000 people. It also said 1.9 million other people had “voluntarily self-deported" since January 2025, when Trump took office.

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