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
Floor votes
How they voted
No floor votes recorded yet.
Full legislative history
Actions timeline
Total actions
1
Key actions
0
Committee
0
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
Annette Quijano
DDemocratic
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