Sherrill Deploys NJ ICE-Reporting Portal, Compares Agency to 'Secret Police'
TRENTON— Governor Mikie Sherrill has launched a state portal for residents to report Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, escalating a confrontation with the Department of Justice over state versus federal authority on public property. The online tool represents the latest front in a jurisdictional conflict sparked by Executive Order 12, which the DOJ is suing to block.
"We're not going to allow ICE to operate as some type of secret police in our state," Sherrill told reporters Wednesday. The governor described the federal agency as "Trump's personal militia" and compared enforcement tactics to those used by East Germany's secret police.
Attorney General Pam Bondi responded that Sherrill's order violates the Supremacy Clause and constitutes "obstructing law enforcement." Federal authorities maintain the state cannot interfere with immigration operations on public property.
The portal, operational through the Governor's Office, allows residents to upload images and footage of ICE activity. State officials indicate submissions will document patterns to support legal challenges.
The confrontation positions Sherrill—a former Navy helicopter pilot elected in November—in a posture harder than predecessor Phil Murphy. Political observers note the strategy follows high-profile killings by immigration agents in Minneapolis.
Sherrill is pushing legislation to codify the Immigrant Trust Directive, which prohibits local law enforcement from cooperating with federal immigration authorities and bars 911 dispatchers from inquiring about immigration status during emergencies.
The DOJ suit, filed February 25, seeks declaratory judgment that Executive Order 12 is invalid and asks for an injunction preventing state enforcement.
The conflict enters a critical phase as Sherrill prepares her first budget address March 10. Legislative leaders indicate sanctuary-state bills will advance through committee hearings this month.
Category: Politics | Law | Immigration
Updated: March 4, 2026, 2:45 PM EST
Updated: March 4, 2026, 2:45 PM EST
Sources: Politico NJ (March 3, 2026); NJ Spotlight News (March 2, 2026); NJBallot.com previous coverage (Feb 25, 2026). OSINT conducted March 4, 2026, 9:00 AM EST.
It's about time! Stop this insanity
ReplyTeaching people how to disobey the law they should be put in jail, whether your politician or not shame ,shame on Mike S
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