Immigration in New Jersey

in committee · New Jersey · Senate Jan 13, 2026

S 2694: Requires DHS to establish Haitian Migrant Assistance Program.

S 2694 requires New Jersey's Department of Human Services to establish a Haitian Migrant Assistance Program for undocumented Haitian migrants who have resided in the state for at least two years. The program will provide time-limited cash assistance, job training (including English and literacy instruction), legal referrals to Haitian-focused organizations, Haitian Creole language translation services, and community orientation on local resources and civic systems. It allows the state to partner with community, faith-based, and nonprofit organizations to deliver these services. The bill directly affects undocumented Haitian migrants facing barriers to housing, employment, and social services due to their immigration status.

Topics ✓ Immigration

in committee · New Jersey · Senate Jan 13, 2026

S 933: Imposes criminal penalties for harboring aliens who have outstanding warrants and are unlawfully present in U.S.

This bill (S 933) amends New Jersey law to criminalize knowingly harboring or helping an undocumented immigrant who has an outstanding arrest or immigration warrant. It makes this a fourth-degree crime (up to 18 months in prison or $10,000 fine), unless the person helped is a close family member (spouse, parent, child), in which case it becomes a lesser offense. The law also creates an exception: undocumented immigrants who are victims of human trafficking cannot be prosecuted for hindering their own apprehension. It directly affects individuals who knowingly assist undocumented immigrants evading lawful arrest or deportation.

Topics ✗ Criminal Justice ✗ Immigration

Sub-Topics Corrections Human Trafficking Enforcement Sanctuary Policies

in committee · New Jersey · Senate Jan 13, 2026

SR 26: Condemns federal government's actions in undermining privacy of taxpayer information; demands immediate reversal of federal policy whereby IRS shares private taxpayer information with United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement for immigration enforcement purposes.

New Jersey's Senate Resolution 26 condemns the federal government's 2025 policy of sharing private taxpayer information with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for immigration enforcement. It specifically criticizes a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Treasury Department and Homeland Security that the IRS's own attorneys warned likely violates federal privacy laws requiring tax data confidentiality. The resolution demands the federal government immediately reverse this policy to protect taxpayer privacy and prevent errors like mistaken deportations. It also notes that New Jersey's immigrant community contributed $1.3 billion in state and local taxes in 2022, emphasizing that sharing tax data could deter immigrants from filing taxes.

Topics ✗ Immigration ✓ Technology

Sub-Topics Enforcement Sanctuary Policies

in committee · New Jersey · Senate Jan 13, 2026

S 2251: Codifies federal regulations requiring bilingual materials and services for SNAP under certain circumstances.

This bill requires New Jersey's SNAP program to provide bilingual materials and interpreters in specific areas where certain language thresholds are met. It directly affects SNAP applicants and beneficiaries in counties or service areas with a significant number of "single-language minority" households - defined as groups where all members speak one non-English language and no adults speak English. The law mandates bilingual services when at least 100 households (in smaller areas) or 5% of low-income households (in larger areas) share the same non-English language, including during seasonal influxes of non-English speakers. Materials can be printed bilingually or include English summaries with language-specific contact information.

Topics ✓ Immigration

Sub-Topics Immigrant Services

in committee · New Jersey · Senate Jan 13, 2026

S 207: Establishes provisional licensure for international medical graduates.

S 207 establishes a provisional licensure pathway for international medical graduates (IMGs) to practice medicine in New Jersey. It allows IMGs meeting specific criteria - such as recent medical training, home-country licensure, English fluency, and valid U.S. work authorization - to receive a 3-year provisional license if employed by a licensed healthcare provider or meeting board-determined country standards. During this period, IMGs must practice under direct supervision of a fully licensed physician, and the license automatically converts to full licensure after three years of compliant practice without misconduct. The bill also requires healthcare providers to disclose the IMG's foreign training background to patients and prohibits paying IMGs less than 90% of local specialty compensation rates (excluding residents/fellows).

Topics ✓ Healthcare ✓ Immigration

Sub-Topics Medical Licensing Work Authorization

in committee · New Jersey · Senate Jan 13, 2026

S 1332: Provides for agreement between Secretary of State and AOC to match information in Statewide voter registration system with certain jury records in order to identify and remove ineligible non-citizen voter registrants from system.

S 1332 requires New Jersey's Secretary of State to enter an agreement with the Administrative Office of the Courts to match voter registration data with jury records. This specifically targets individuals who claimed non-citizenship as a reason for jury duty excusal or deferral, enabling the identification and removal of non-citizen registrants from the voter rolls. The matching agreement applies retroactively to all available jury records since 1994, when New Jersey began allowing voter registration while applying for driver's licenses. This bill directly affects non-citizen individuals mistakenly registered to vote and mandates a data-sharing mechanism between election and judicial systems to maintain voter registration integrity.

Topics ✗ Immigration

Sub-Topics Citizenship & Naturalization Driver Licenses & IDs

in committee · New Jersey · Senate Jan 13, 2026

S 900: Prohibits municipal ordinance to create sanctuary city; establishes State and local employee ethics violation upon noncompliance with federal immigration enforcement request.

This bill prohibits New Jersey municipalities from passing ordinances that require local officials to refuse cooperation with federal immigration enforcement requests. It directly affects mayors, city councils, and county officials who might adopt "sanctuary city" policies. The law makes it a misdemeanor for officials to vote for such non-cooperation policies after the bill's effective date, with potential fines up to $1,000, jail time up to one year, or loss of office. It also requires local employees to comply with federal immigration requests as an ethics obligation and provides state defense/indemnification for officials cooperating with federal authorities, barring intentional misconduct.

Topics ✗ Immigration

Sub-Topics Driver Licenses & IDs Enforcement Sanctuary Policies

in committee · New Jersey · Senate Jan 13, 2026

S 2234: Establishes Office of New Americans in Department of Human Services.

This bill establishes a permanent Office of New Americans within New Jersey's Department of Human Services. It directly serves immigrants, refugees, and their families - over two million people representing nearly a quarter of the state's population - by providing refugee resettlement services, legal assistance, health screenings, and workforce development programs. The office will act as a central hub for coordinating state services, offering technical assistance to other agencies, and ensuring programs are culturally responsive. The Director, appointed by the Human Services Commissioner, will lead these efforts with staff prioritizing lived experience in immigrant communities. The bill formalizes existing initiatives from Executive Order 74 (2019) to improve access to resources and build trust between immigrant communities and state government.

Topics ✓ Immigration ✓ Labor & Employment

Sub-Topics Immigrant Services Refugees & Asylum Workforce Development

in committee · New Jersey · Senate Jan 13, 2026

S 1571: Requires AG to repeal law enforcement directive restricting law enforcement cooperation with federal immigration authorities.

This bill (S 1571) requires New Jersey's Attorney General to repeal a 2018 law enforcement directive (No. 2018-6) that restricted local police from cooperating with federal immigration authorities. The directive prohibited state and local officers from providing certain assistance to federal immigration officials when the sole purpose was enforcing immigration law, including sharing release dates for detained individuals or extending detention based solely on immigration requests. The bill states this directive threatens public safety and urges its immediate repeal. If passed, it would remove these restrictions, allowing law enforcement to share information with federal immigration authorities as permitted under federal law.

Topics ✗ Criminal Justice ✗ Immigration

Sub-Topics Law Enforcement Policing Driver Licenses & IDs Enforcement Sanctuary Policies

in committee · New Jersey · Senate Jan 13, 2026

S 902: Directs AG to enter into agreement with U.S. Attorney General to empower certain corrections officers to investigate immigration status of inmates.

This bill (S 902) would allow New Jersey to enter a federal agreement enabling designated corrections officers to check an inmate’s immigration status *at the time of incarceration*. Specifically, these trained officers would investigate whether an inmate is a lawful U.S. resident and report findings to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) if the inmate’s presence is unauthorized under federal law. The agreement would outline required training, reporting protocols, and federal funding for the program. It directly affects inmates in New Jersey state and county correctional facilities and designated corrections officers who volunteer for this role.

Topics ✗ Immigration

Sub-Topics Detention Enforcement Sanctuary Policies

All immigration bills