Today, the court recognized what we have said all along: New Jersey has the authority to draw a clear, bright line between the work of state law enforcement officers and federal civil immigration officers. This line is more important than ever, as we work hard every day to build and restore trust between New Jersey’s police officers and historically marginalized communities.
In November 2018, I issued the Immigrant Trust Directive in the shadow of the Statue of Liberty, flanked by our state’s law enforcement leaders. What I said then remains true today: you can be both pro-immigrant and pro-law enforcement. And, indeed, our Directive is pro-law enforcement precisely because it is pro-immigrant. Today’s decision reaffirms that principle.
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