Governor Mikie Sherrill signed an executive order barring immigration agents from non-public areas of certain New Jersey state properties without a judicial warrant and forbidding the use of state facilities as enforcement bases. She also launched an online portal for residents to upload photos and videos of immigration enforcement for review by the state Attorney General’s Office. Acting AG Jennifer Davenport said the office will review reports but cannot promise specific actions. Civil rights groups, including the ACLU of New Jersey, praised the move and urged further legislative protections.
New Jersey Governor Bars ICE From Some State Properties and Launches Reporting Portal
Federal agents at an immigration enforcement raid at Delaney Hall detention facility in Newark, New Jersey, on 13 June 2025.Photograph: Andrés Kudacki/Getty Images(Photograph: Andrés Kudacki/Getty Images)
New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill has issued an executive order restricting federal immigration agents' access to certain state-owned properties and launched an online portal for residents to submit photos and videos of immigration enforcement activity.
The order prohibits immigration officers from entering non-public portions of state property without a judicial warrant and bars federal agents from using state facilities as bases for enforcement operations, according to NJ.com. The state also created a web portal where residents can upload evidence of enforcement encounters for review by state officials.
"We have seen dozens, even hundreds of videos of Donald Trump’s [Immigration and Customs Enforcement] agents abusing their power, smashing cars, tear gassing families, gunning down American citizens and violating our most basic rights,"
Sherrill made the remarks at a news conference reported by NJ.com. The governor framed the executive order as a measure to protect residents' civil liberties and limit federal enforcement activity on state property.
State officials said the New Jersey Attorney General’s Office will review reports and media submitted to the portal.
"While we cannot guarantee any particular action by our office in response to reports on the portal, we will review every report with care,"acting Attorney General Jennifer Davenport reportedly said.
The move comes amid an increase in federal immigration enforcement under the Trump administration, which has focused many operations in Democratic-led states. Those enforcement actions have prompted protests in locations such as Minnesota, where critics say agents used heavy-handed tactics; local reports say two U.S. citizens died in incidents tied to the broader enforcement surge.
Civil rights organizations welcomed Sherrill’s order. Amol Sinha, executive director of ACLU New Jersey, praised the governor and urged broader protections:
"ICE is out of control, endangering our communities, and must be stopped. New Jersey cannot be complicit as federal agents terrorize our residents and attack our fundamental constitutional freedoms — the time for action and leadership is now. By using her executive power to hold ICE accountable, Governor Sherrill is doing what every governor across the country should be doing."Sinha added that the ACLU looks forward to working with the administration and urged immediate passage of legislation to protect residents from federal immigration operations.
What’s next: The executive order and portal set up a state-level mechanism for documenting and reviewing alleged ICE activity, but legal and operational conflicts between federal and state authority could lead to further debate or litigation. New Jersey lawmakers and advocacy groups may pursue legislation to codify additional protections.
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