Unmasking ICE: Sparks fly at fiery Assembly hearing

📜 New Jersey’s Assembly committee advanced a bill to codify the Immigrant Trust Directive into law, part of a package limiting cooperation with ICE and shielding immigrant communities.

🔥 Thursday’s hearing turned heated as Republican Assemblyman Paul Kanitra sparred with advocates and colleagues, calling parts of the legislation unconstitutional and ineffective.

📍 The bill would formalize limited local cooperation with federal immigration enforcement but does not dissolve federal authority or shield all individuals from deportation.

TRENTON — An Assembly committee on Thursday advanced legislation to officially make the controversial Immigrant Trust Directive a state law, part of a broader package aimed at limiting cooperation with federal immigration enforcement. It drew sharp debate along partisan lines.

The Public Safety Committee voted 5–2 to move the bill forward, alongside two companion measures that restrict the sharing of residents’ personal data and place limits on federal immigration agents’ conduct in the state. Democrats on the panel backed the measures, while Republicans opposed them.

READ MORE: Anti-ICE portal is now live in NJ — Here’s how it works

The Immigrant Trust bill would write into law protections that have until now existed only as a directive from the Office of the State Attorney general, formalizing when state and local law enforcement may — and may not — assist U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and other federal immigration authorities.

Explainer: What the Bill Would Do — and Not Do

What it does:

✔ Codifies the Immigrant Trust Directive — A 2018 state policy that limits cooperation between New Jersey law enforcement and federal immigration officials, including restricting questioning or detaining individuals based solely on immigration status.

✔ Seeks to protect immigrant communities by requiring due process before turning over individuals to federal authorities and shielding sensitive personal information from routine sharing.

What it does not do:

✔ It does not dissolve federal authority — Federal officers like ICE still operate under federal law within New Jersey.

✔ It does not criminalize immigration status or interfere with federal civil immigration enforcement jurisdiction.

✔ It does not ban immigration agents outright; rather it limits state and local participation in enforcement actions.

Supporters say codification would lock in long-standing practices that build trust between immigrant communities and local police. Critics — including ICE opponents and some legal experts — argue formal legislation could provoke legal challenges or conflict with the U.S. Constitution’s Supremacy Clause.

Former Gov. Phil Murphy refused to sign similar legislation before he left office in January, citing the risk of legal challenges.

Heated Committee Hearing: GOP Lawmaker Spars With Advocates

Thursday’s hearing turned tense when Republican Assemblyman Paul Kanitra, R-Ocean, confronted immigrant rights advocates and committee leadership over the legislation’s scope and intent.

Kanitra, one of two Republicans on the panel, criticized a related bill that would bar federal agents from wearing masks during operations as “blatantly unconstitutional” and “feckless” due to broad exemptions.

“They’re calling for restrictions that basically handcuff law enforcement and do nothing to protect real public safety,” Kanitra said, raising his voice at times over protest from audience members. “This bill does nothing because there’s so many exemptions in it anyway.”

At one point, Kanitra referred to some audience members as “loony” for using terms like “undocumented,” prompting the committee chair to cut him off and admonish him for departing from procedural decorum.

Immigrant advocates in the room decried the current version of the bill as watered down and urged the committee to restore provisions they say are essential for meaningful protection.

By contrast, Democrats framing the legislation say it will give permanent legal backing to policies many immigrant communities already rely on and foster safer interactions with police.

What’s Next for the Bills

With committee approval now secured, the legislation heads for further votes in the full Assembly before potentially reaching the State Senate and, ultimately, the governor’s desk. Sherrill has supported the Immigrant Trust Directive but has expressed reservations about the legislation to codify it into law that are similar to those expressed by Murphy.

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