The U.S. Department of Justice has filed a lawsuit against the State of New Jersey and Governor Mikie Sherrill, alleging that the state’s new Executive Order No. 12 deliberately interferes with federal immigration enforcement operations. Attorney General Pam Bondi accused New Jersey leaders of enacting policies that “obstruct and endanger law enforcement,” stating states “may not deliberately interfere” with federal efforts to remove illegal aliens and arrest criminals.
The executive order prohibits Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers from conducting secure arrests of criminal illegal aliens within nonpublic areas of state property, including correctional facilities. Bondi’s complaint argues that New Jersey’s refusal to cooperate with federal immigration authorities results in the release of dangerous individuals—convicted of aggravated assault, burglary, drug trafficking, and human smuggling—onto streets previously under federal jurisdiction.
“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,” Bondi stated in the lawsuit. The complaint notes that New Jersey’s sanctuary policy violates federal law and contradicts the state’s prior designation as a “sanctuary jurisdiction” on August 5, 2025, which the Department had previously identified.
Governor Sherrill countered that the DOJ lawsuit focuses on “training their ICE agents with some modicum of training” rather than addressing public safety concerns. Her administration has launched a public portal for New Jersey residents to report interactions with ICE and emphasized the executive order was motivated by recent incidents, including the Minneapolis shootings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti. Acting State Attorney General Jennifer Davenport criticized the lawsuit as “wasting its resources on a pointless legal challenge.”
The Department’s Civil Division has previously targeted sanctuary policies in New York, Minnesota, and Los Angeles, with Bondi vowing to litigate such practices nationwide. Sherrill defended her actions by stating, “Under Governor Sherrill’s leadership, New Jersey will continue to ensure the safety of our state’s immigrant communities.”