New Jersey governor Mikie Sherrill has banned immigration agents from some state property and launched an online portal for residents to share videos and photos of enforcement activity.
Sherrill, a Democrat, signed an executive order on Wednesday which prohibits immigration officers from access to non-public portions of state-owned property if they don’t have a judicial warrant, according to NJ.com. The prohibition also bars immigration agents from using state property as bases for enforcement operations.
“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 remarked during a news conference reported by NJ.com.
Amid growing scrutiny of ICE activities, New Jersey officials have stated that the state attorney’s office will review photos and video uploaded to the web 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 state attorney general Jennifer Davenport reportedly said.
Sherrill’s initiatives come as Donald Trump has ramped up immigration enforcement, with his administration overwhelmingly targeting Democrat-run states. The US president’s enforcement blitz in Minnesota has spurred ongoing demonstrations over agents’ heavy-handed approach to migrants and protesters; immigration agents have killed two US citizens during the enforcement surge.
Civil rights advocates praised Sherrill’s efforts.
“ICE is out of control, endangering our communities, and must be stopped,” said Amol Sinha, executive director of ACLU New Jersey. “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.”
“We applaud Governor Sherrill’s meaningful efforts to combat ICE’s lawlessness and abuse through this executive order and look forward to continue working with her administration to ensure everyone who calls our state home truly feels safe to live the life we all deserve,” Sinha added. “New Jersey must do everything in its power to keep families safe and defend democracy, and that includes immediate passage of legislation protecting our residents from ICE.”
