Justice Department Files Lawsuit Against New Jersey for Interfering with Federal Immigration Laws

WASHINGTON - Yesterday, the Department of Justice filed a lawsuit against the State of New Jersey and New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherill over New Jersey's new Executive Order No. 12 that interferes with the federal government's enforcement of its immigration laws.

"Federal agents are risking their lives to keep New Jersey citizens safe, and yet New Jersey's leaders are enacting policies designed to obstruct and endanger law enforcement," said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. "States may not deliberately interfere with our efforts to remove illegal aliens and arrest criminals - New Jersey's sanctuary policies will not stand."

The Executive Order prohibits ICE and other federal immigration officials from conducting secure arrests of criminal illegal aliens inside nonpublic areas of state property including state correctional facilities. Not only are New Jersey's sanctuary policies illegal under federal law, but, as alleged in the complaint, New Jersey's refusal to cooperate with federal immigration authorities results in the release of dangerous criminals from police custody who would otherwise be subject to removal, including illegal aliens convicted of aggravated assault, burglary, and drug and human trafficking, onto the streets.

On her first day in office, Attorney General Bondi instructed the Department's Civil Division to identify state and local laws, policies, and practices that facilitate violations of federal immigration laws or impede lawful federal immigration operations. The Department's list of sanctuary jurisdictions published on August 5, 2025, precedes New Jersey's latest Executive Order. Regardless, Attorney General Bondi has vowed to bring litigation to end such policies nationwide. Today's lawsuit is the latest in a series of lawsuits brought by the Civil Division targeting illegal sanctuary city policies across the country, including in New York, Minnesota, and Los Angeles, California.