New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill signed an executive order on Wednesday barring federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) from using state-owned property to conduct immigration enforcement operations in the state.
Sherrill also announced the creation of a new online portal for residents to report on ICE activity in the state. Her team has also created a website to ensure that people “know their constitutional rights when interacting with federal agents” while connecting residents with “important resources, including pro-bono legal services.”
ICE is making everyone less safe.
— Governor Mikie Sherrill (@GovSherrillNJ) February 11, 2026
Today, I’m taking action to protect New Jerseyans.
First, I’m signing an Executive Order to ban ICE from launching actions from any state property.
Second, @NewJerseyOAG is launching a portal where people can upload videos of ICE interactions they see in our state.
— Governor Mikie Sherrill (@GovSherrillNJ) February 11, 2026
If you’re approached by an agent or see an ICE operation taking place, and you’re at a safe distance – send us your videos.https://t.co/WgvpF86PAe
Third, we’re launching a new website to make sure people know their Constitutional rights when interacting with federal agents.
— Governor Mikie Sherrill (@GovSherrillNJ) February 11, 2026
The site also connects New Jerseyans with important resources, including pro-bono legal services.
Learn more at https://t.co/xBhoRQB7Yt.
This comes amid heightened tensions over the Trump administration’s immigration policies and the tactics employed by ICE agents during arrests and detentions.
Under Sherrill’s order, federal immigration officers cannot enter or use nonpublic areas of state property, such as government offices, residential medical facilities, child care centers, and public university dormitories to stage, launch, or process civil immigration enforcement operations unless they have a judicial warrant, NJBIZ reported.
Federal agents are also prohibited from using state parking lots, parkways, or other restricted-access facilities as staging grounds. However, the governor’s order still allows immigration authorities to carry out lawful arrests in public areas of state property.
Well, this is an actual form of state secession from the Union. Interesting... 🤨
— Mrgunsngear (@Mrgunsngear) January 30, 2026
New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill, who has never been able to figure out how $7 million ended up in one of her bank accounts when she was a congresswoman, says the state will launch a taxpayer… pic.twitter.com/rLOLJV0FxJ
Those supporting Sherrill’s policy say it is a necessary step to protect civil liberties. “Today, we are making clear that the Trump administration’s lawless actions will not go unchecked in New Jersey,” Sherrill said.
The governor said ICE has shown a “willingness to flout the Constitution and violently endanger communities” and vowed to “stand up for New Jerseyans’ right to be safe.”
Acting Attorney General Jennifer Davenport said the state will “ensure the safety of our communities and hold the federal government accountable when they violate the law.”
Critics have slammed Sherrill’s order, arguing that it subverts the rule of law and places public safety in peril. A spokesperson from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) called the order “legally illiterate” and contended that enforcing federal immigration laws is a “clear federal responsibility” under the Constitution’s Supremacy Clause. He accused New Jersey’s officials of releasing “pedophiles, rapists, gang members, and murderers” back into communities where they can continue victimizing people.