Governor’s Bold Move on ICE: Impact on NJ’s Local Law Enforcement

Police officer in uniform standing on city street

New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy has ordered state law enforcement to cease cooperation with ICE on immigration matters involving administrative warrants, directly challenging federal immigration enforcement efforts.

Key Takeaways

Governor Murphy has directed New Jersey police to ignore ICE administrative warrants and not contact federal immigration officials about them.
The order builds on New Jersey’s 2018 Immigrant Trust Directive, which separates local law enforcement from federal immigration enforcement.
State Police Colonel Patrick Callahan issued a memo warning officers against treating these warrants as “NCIC Hits” or assisting ICE.
U.S. Attorney Alina Habba has criticized the directive, emphasizing that federal executive orders must be followed.
Murphy previously boasted about potentially interfering with ICE operations near his home and housing an illegal immigrant.

Murphy’s Directive Challenges Federal Immigration Enforcement

New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy has instructed state law enforcement agencies to stop cooperating with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on matters involving administrative immigration warrants. The directive specifically prohibits state police and local law enforcement from acting on over 27,000 “Outstanding Administrative Warrants for Removal” recently added to the FBI’s National Crime Information Center (NCIC) database by the Trump administration. This move represents a significant escalation in the ongoing tension between state and federal approaches to immigration enforcement.

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

The governor’s order reinforces New Jersey’s 2018 Immigrant Trust Directive, which aims to separate local policing from federal immigration enforcement activities. Attorney General Matt Platkin supports the policy, arguing it helps maintain community trust in local authorities. State Police Colonel Patrick Callahan has issued an internal memo clarifying that these administrative warrants should not be treated as “NCIC Hits” and officers should not contact ICE when encountering individuals listed in the database solely for immigration violations.

Federal-State Conflict Over Immigration Enforcement

U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey, Alina Habba, has pushed back against Murphy’s directive, stating, “Let me be clear, Executive Orders will be followed and enforced in the State of New Jersey.” This response highlights the constitutional questions raised by New Jersey’s stance, particularly regarding the balance between state autonomy and federal supremacy in immigration matters. The directive places local law enforcement in a difficult position, caught between conflicting state and federal directives.

Colonel Callahan’s memo explicitly warns officers 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.” Officers are instructed to comply strictly with the directive or face potential disciplinary or legal consequences. This places New Jersey’s law enforcement in the position of deliberately ignoring certain alerts in the federal NCIC system, a database traditionally relied upon for identifying individuals with outstanding warrants.

Murphy’s History of Immigration Activism

Governor Murphy has a documented history of opposing federal immigration enforcement. In a press conference following President Trump’s recent election victory, Murphy recalled a time when “ICE was just randomly showing up on street corners and apprehending… brothers and sisters from the immigrant community.” He described personally intervening in what he believed was an upcoming immigration enforcement operation, saying, “I just went there one night with my security detail and just hung out there,” adding that federal agents never appeared.

More recently, Murphy sparked controversy by appearing to suggest he was housing an illegal immigrant on his property. This admission drew criticism from Trump border czar Tom Homan, who suggested Murphy’s actions could potentially lead to prosecution under U.S. immigration law. Supporters of Murphy’s policies argue they prevent undermining public safety and community trust, while critics view them as rejecting lawful federal immigration efforts and potentially creating sanctuaries for individuals illegally present in the country.