Trump administration sues New Jersey over Mikie Sherrill executive order
The Justice Department filed a federal lawsuit in Trenton on Monday challenging an executive order issued by mikie sherrill that bars federal immigration agents from making arrests in nonpublic areas of state property and prohibits using state property as a staging or processing area for immigration enforcement. The filing frames the order as a direct obstacle to federal immigration operations.
Mikie Sherrill's executive order
The challenged directive, issued on Feb. 11, forbids federal immigration agents from conducting arrests in nonpublic spaces on state property, citing locations such as correctional facilities and courthouses. The order also bars the use of state property as a staging or processing area for immigration enforcement activities. The complaint notes that the governor took office on Jan. 20 and identifies her as a Democrat.
Federal lawsuit's central accusations
The lawsuit asserts that the executive order "poses an intolerable obstacle" to immigration enforcement and that it "directly regulates and discriminates" against the federal government. The filing accuses the governor of attempting to obstruct federal law enforcement and of seeking to thwart the administration's broader immigration enforcement efforts, stating that she "insists on harboring criminal offenders from federal law enforcement. " The document filed in federal court in Trenton also contains a misspelling of the governor's name.
State response and wider context
In response to the legal challenge, mikie sherrill criticized the administration's focus on suing states and said, "What I think the federal government needs to be focused on right now, instead of attacking states like New Jersey working to keep people safe, is actually training their ICE agents. " New Jersey's acting attorney general described the lawsuit as a waste of federal resources on a "pointless legal challenge" and pledged that the state will fight the case while continuing efforts to protect immigrant communities.
The filing is presented as part of an ongoing pattern of litigation by the administration challenging state and local policies that limit cooperation with federal immigration authorities. The suit follows prior federal actions last year that targeted other states and several large cities over so-called sanctuary laws. A separate federal case brought last May by the administration against four New Jersey cities remains pending.
