New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill announced a new state portal to let residents upload videos and report ICE activity, urging people to document federal immigration enforcement. The White House and Republican leaders sharply criticized the plan, arguing it undermines law enforcement and could endanger officers and the public. Sherrill’s office says the portal is meant to protect residents from federal overreach and pledged additional actions soon. The dispute highlights broader tensions over transparency, public oversight and public safety in immigration enforcement.
White House and Republicans Criticize NJ Governor’s Plan to Let Residents Record and Report ICE Agents
New Jersey Democratic Gov. Mikie Sherrill and ICE agents during an operation.(Getty Images)
New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill announced her administration will launch an online portal allowing residents to upload videos and report U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activity, encouraging people to document federal enforcement operations they witness.
Speaking on The Daily Show, Sherrill—a U.S. Navy veteran who assumed office weeks earlier—said:
New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill arrives on the stage during her inauguration ceremony in Newark, N.J., Jan. 20, 2026.
"We want documentation, and we are going to make sure we get it. We are going to be standing up a portal so people can upload all their cell videos and alert people. If you see an ICE agent in the street, get your phone out, we want to know."
The announcement prompted immediate criticism from the White House and conservative officials. White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson told Fox News Digital:
"If Sherrill was as committed to tracking down criminal illegal aliens as she was ICE officers, New Jersey residents would be much safer."
Jackson also said, attributing figures she provided, that ICE officers are facing a "1,300% increase in assaults," and defended agents as working "heroically to enforce the law and protect American communities," urging local leaders to cooperate with federal authorities rather than publicize their movements.
Protesters gather outside the Delaney Hall Detention Facility during protests over federal immigration enforcement raids June 12, 2025, in Newark, N.J.
Sherrill’s office, represented by spokesperson Sean Higgins, described the portal as a protective measure against perceived federal overreach. Higgins told Fox News Digital that "keeping New Jerseyans safe is Governor Sherrill’s top priority" and that the governor, along with Acting Attorney General Jennifer Davenport, will announce additional steps soon to shield residents from improper federal actions.
On the program, Sherrill referenced the deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretti during encounters involving agents in Minneapolis and accused officers of shooting Pretti "execution style," calling that conduct "unacceptable" and saying ICE has not been forthcoming about some operations.
New Jersey Assembly Republican Leader John DiMaio condemned the portal as potentially dangerous, arguing it "puts everyone at risk" and undermines law enforcement by encouraging people to film and publicize operations. DiMaio pointed to recent ICE arrests in the state, saying those actions removed violent offenders from communities.
This dispute reflects a wider national debate over oversight of federal immigration enforcement: supporters say public documentation can protect civil liberties and deter misconduct, while critics warn that publicizing enforcement activity may escalate tensions and hinder officers’ ability to carry out operations safely.
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