New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy has ordered state law enforcement to cease cooperation with ICE, intensifying the conflict between state policies and federal immigration enforcement efforts.
Key Takeaways
- Governor Murphy directed NJ law enforcement to stop collaborating with ICE, reinforcing the state’s 2018 Immigrant Trust Directive.
- State police officers are prohibited from notifying ICE or making arrests based solely on administrative warrants.
- The directive directly challenges the Trump administration’s addition of over 27,000 “Outstanding Administrative Warrants for Removal” to the FBI’s NCIC system.
- Murphy previously claimed he used his security detail to potentially prevent ICE raids near his Middletown mansion.
- U.S. Attorney for New Jersey Alina Habba countered that federal executive orders must be followed in the state.
Murphy’s Direct Challenge to Federal Immigration Enforcement
In a bold challenge to federal immigration policy, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy has instructed state law enforcement agencies to stop cooperating with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The directive, which aligns with New Jersey’s 2018 Immigrant Trust Directive, specifically prohibits officers from treating ICE administrative warrants as actionable “NCIC Hits” in their systems. This move comes as the Trump administration recently added over 27,000 “Outstanding Administrative Warrants for Removal” to the FBI’s National Crime Information Center database.
NJ Governor Defies ICE -Orders Local Police to End Cooperation with Immigration Officials https://t.co/s4nPTptMGb pic.twitter.com/RDmnaOAJUK
— Julio 🇵🇷 (@combatinsight) April 10, 2025
Colonel Patrick Callahan of the New Jersey State Police formalized the governor’s position in an internal memo, instructing officers that, “These Administrative Warrant messages appear in NCIC in a method that ALL members are to note they are NOT to be broadcast as ‘NCIC Hits.'”
Previous Immigration Interventions
This isn’t the first time Murphy has positioned himself against federal immigration enforcement. Previously, the governor recounted personally intervening in what he believed was a potential ICE operation near his Middletown residence. Murphy described taking proactive steps to deter federal immigration agents from conducting enforcement activities in his neighborhood. “I just went there one night with my security detail and just hung out there,” he said, adding that federal agents never showed up. “Whether that scared them off or not I don’t know, but it’s an example of a small step that we’re willing to try anything if it’s contrary to our values.”
Federal-State Enforcement Conflict
The governor’s directive creates a sharp divide between state and federal authority over immigration enforcement. U.S. Attorney for New Jersey, Alina Habba, responded firmly to Murphy’s order with a clear statement defending federal supremacy in immigration matters. The conflict highlights the ongoing constitutional tensions between state autonomy and federal mandates, particularly on immigration policy.
New Jersey’s Attorney General Matt Platkin has reinforced the governor’s position, arguing that the directive maintains community trust in law enforcement by separating local policing from federal immigration enforcement. The policy’s supporters contend it enhances public safety by encouraging immigrant communities to report crimes without fear of deportation.
Specific Instructions to Officers
The directive gives law enforcement personnel explicit guidelines on handling ICE administrative warrants. Officers are warned that “Taking law enforcement action by arresting a subject based solely on an ‘Outstanding Administrative Warrant’ would violate the Attorney General’s Immigration Trust Directive.” The memo strongly cautions officers that failure to comply could result in disciplinary or legal consequences.
The governor’s stance represents a significant front in the national debate over immigration enforcement. With immigration serving as a key issue, New Jersey’s policy creates a potential legal and political showdown that could define the boundaries of state resistance to federal immigration priorities.
Sources:
NJ Gov. Phil Murphy boasted about thwarting ICE raid with his taxpayer-funded security detail
State vs. Federal: New Jersey Governor Orders Police to Defy ICE Warrants Amid Immigration Clash
NJ Gov. Orders Local Police to Stop Working with Immigration Officials
