A 1994 New Jersey General Assembly · 2026-2027 Regular Session

Establishes immigration unit within Office of Public Defender.

This bill creates a dedicated immigration unit within New Jersey's Office of Public Defender (OPD) to provide legal representation and assistance on immigration matters. It directly affects noncitizens involved in the criminal justice system, those committed to psychiatric institutions, and noncitizen youth in juvenile delinquency cases. The unit will help these individuals navigate immigration consequences tied to their court proceedings, addressing a current gap where only two immigration attorneys serve approximately 600 noncitizen criminal defendants. The unit aims to ensure compliance with federal requirements (like *Padilla v. Kentucky*) and provide specialized support, especially for noncitizen youth facing unique challenges.
Bill status in committee 1 of 4 stages cleared
Introduction
Jan 2026
Committee Review
Floor Vote
Governor
Introduced Jan 13, 2026 Last action Jan 13, 2026
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Jan 13, 2026
Introduced
Introduced, Referred to Assembly Oversight, Reform and Federal Relations Committee
lower
1 primary · 0 co-sponsors

Sponsors

Role
Legislator
Party
State
District
P
Photo of Annette Quijano
Annette Quijano
DDemocratic
NJ
20