Here's the stories you'll be talking about on the New Jersey 101.5 Morning Show on Thursday:

With the Trump administration announcing a drawdown of Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in Minnesota, New Jersey may become the new epicenter of anti-ICE policies and protests.

After Gov. Mikie Sherrill signed an executive order banning ICE agents from all state owned or controlled property, a growing number of county and municipal governments are doing the same.

Democratic state legislators have introduced multiple bills to further restrict ICE activities in the state.

Even Republican lawmakers have joined in opposition to a new ICE detention facility in Morris County.

At the same time, the number of reported ICE enforcement actions in New Jersey continues to rise.

Keep scrolling for the latest developments.

🔗 New Jersey lawmakers push back against ICE with three new bills

🏛️ NJ Democratic lawmakers unveiled three bills targeting ICE operations, private detention centers and agent state employment.
💰 One proposal would impose a 50% tax on private detention facilities and create an “Immigrant Protection Fund.”
⚖️ The measures follow controversy over a proposed ICE detention site in Roxbury and growing debate over immigration enforcement.

TRENTON — With increased reports of masked U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents showing up in New Jersey communities, Democratic lawmakers have backed a new trio of measures aimed at bolstering state safeguards.

Three bills would tax private detention profiteers, protect law enforcement access to local crime scenes involving ICE, and would disqualify ICE agents from state public employment.

Assemblywoman Katie Brennan, D-Hudson County, said one measure would impose a 50% tax on revenue of private detention centers, operating under government contracts.

Bill A4300 would create a 50% tax on the gross receipts of private detention facilities operating in New Jersey under contracts with government entities. As written, the legislation would direct proceeds into a new “Immigrant Protection Fund,” dedicated to immigration services for New Jersey residents.

Bill A4301 would authorize all state, county, and municipal law enforcement officers to access crime scenes and evidence within their jurisdiction. The measure would make it a criminal offense for any person, including a federal officer, to block that access.

🔗 They back ICE — just not in their backyard

☑️ A proposed ICE detention center in Roxbury has united Democrats and the GOP
☑️ Elected officials from all levels are against the facility
☑️ Federal law may override local laws, complicating efforts to block the project

ROXBURY — Local and state politicians are mobilizing against federal plans to open an immigration detention facility here.

You're forgiven if you thought these officials were Democrats. They're actually all Republicans.

Republicans against ICE?

That’s the plot twist unfolding in this affluent Morris County suburb, where an all-GOP township council is trying to block a proposed ICE detention center even as Republicans in statewide and federal offices continue to champion tougher immigration enforcement.

Despite supporting ICE and the Trump administration's deportation mission, local Republican officials appear to be locking arms with Gov. Mikie Sherrill, U.S. Sen. Cory Booker and the rest of New Jersey’s Democratic establishment when it comes to opposing a 1,500-bed federal immigration detention facility planned for a Route 46 warehouse.

After Booker and congressional Democrats issued statements condemning the sale of a warehouse in Roxbury to ICE, a Republican lawmaker from Morris County said the sale does not look to be certain yet.

The Gothamist reported on the sale on Wednesday but Assemblywoman Dawn Fantasia, R-Morris, told New Jersey 101.5 that ICE was denying the report. She said Mayor Shawn Potillo told her he did not have confirmation of the sale from the owner of the warehouse.

“Until there’s something concrete in front of us, I'm not running with speculation,” Fantasia wrote on her Facebook page.

Fantasia said she is not opposed to detention facilities but does not believe the Roxbury site can handle the water and septic needs of a facility housing 1,500 people.

🔗 Middlesex County bans ICE agents

The list of counties and municipalities banning U.S. Immigration and Customs agents from government property is growing.

A resolution has been proposed by Middlesex County Commissioners director Ronald Rios that bans ICE agents from using any property owned or controlle3d by the county for civil immigration enforcement.

The resolution also includes training for county employees and contractors to prevent them from aiding immigration agents except where required by law.

The county resolution comes a day after the mayor of New Brunswick announced a ban on ICE agents from using any city owned property as staging areas or for detention of suspects.

The local actions follow Gov. Mikie Sherrill's executive order banning ICE agents from non-public areas owned or controlled by state government unless they have a judicial warrant.

🔗 Not just bird flu: Why geese may be dying across NJ

🔴More than 1,000 sick or dead geese were reported during Presidents Day weekend
🔴DEP officials say cold weather and lack of food likely killed many birds at the shore
🔴Wildlife officials are urging the public to report sick or dead birds

Over a thousand sick or dead geese were reported across New Jersey this past weekend. It's not all because of bird flu, according to the state Department of Environmental Protection.

📌 The DEP said that reports came in from Basking Ridge, Edison, Holmdel, Manalapan, Matawan and Sicklerville.

📌 The Monmouth County Park System reported “dead and infirm” Canada Geese in some of its parks this week.

📌 Officials in Hainesport reported “multiple sick or dead geese.

📌 The Gloucester County Department of Health acknowledged reported cases within the county, including near Alcyon Lake in Pitman.

Almost all the reports were for Canada geese, with a few reports of other bird species, including brant geese along the coast, according to the DEP. Testing on the brants came back negative for bird flu, which likely means the cold weather and lack of food could be the actual cause of death.

🔗 Brave NJ firefighters save deer from frozen Shrewsbury River

🔵 Deer falls through ice on Shrewsbury River in Oceanport
🔵Monmouth County firefighters rescue animal from frigid water
️ 🔵Warmer NJ temperatures weaken ice on rivers and ponds

OCEANPORT — Police have often warned people about the dangers of walking on frozen ponds and lakes in New Jersey. Well, that warning also applies to wildlife.

One animal went out a little too far onto a semi-icy river in Monmouth County, and got into a bit of trouble.

Firefighters rescued a deer that fell through the ice in the Shrewsbury River off Pocono Avenue in Oceanport on Tuesday, according to the Port-Au-Peck Chemical Hose Volunteer Fire Co.

Click the link above to see photos of the rescue.

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You can reach him at eric.scott@townsquaremedia.com

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