NJ bans masked ICE agents under new immigration enforcement laws
NEW JERSEY - Gov. Mikie Sherrill is taking action to restrict New Jersey's role in immigration enforcement as tensions continue to rise across the country.
What we know:
The New Jersey mayor signed three immigration bills into law on Wednesday, including one that limits the use of face coverings for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents.
The "Law Enforcement Officer Protection Act" requires law enforcement officers to reveal their facial identity during certain public interaction. Officers must also present sufficient identification prior to arresting or detaining a person.
A second bill, known as the "Immigrant Trust Directive," prohibits state, county, and municipal law enforcement agencies from stopping, questioning, searching or detaining individuals solely based on immigration status. It also limits the voluntary assistance that state and local law enforcement can provide to federal immigration authorities.
The final bill restricts the collection and sharing of personal information by government entities and health care facilities. The "Privacy Protection Act" aims to strengthen protections for immigrant communities.
What they're saying:
"These bills underscore that here in New Jersey, we still follow the Constitution and uphold the rule of law. My focus as governor remains on keeping the public safe," Gov. Sherrill said.
"As we’ve seen across the country, Donald Trump’s untrained, unaccountable, masked ICE agents are putting people in danger. That’s why in New Jersey, we are protecting our communities – strengthening our protections, banning ICE agents from wearing masks, and protecting residents’ privacy from federal overreach."
ICE agents expected at airports across US to assist TSA
White House officials say that ICE agents could be deployed at airport across the country beginning on Monday.
The other side:
The Department of Homeland Security has criticized efforts to unmask ICE agents, calling a similar Washington law "irresponsible, reckless and dangerous."
New Jersey is also being sued by the Trump administration over Sherrill's executive order prohibiting federal immigration agents from making arrests in nonpublic areas of state property, including correctional facilities and courthouses, and blocking the use of state property as a staging or processing area for immigration enforcement.
The Source: Information from this article was sourced from the Office of the New Jersey Governor and FOX News.