This bill creates a new fund within the New Jersey Department of Education to help public schools support students impacted by immigration enforcement activities. The fund will be financed through annual state appropriations, federal grants, and other available monies, and it will remain in place without expiring. Schools receiving money from this fund can use it to provide trauma-informed mental health services, address the effects of parental separation, and hire or train staff to deliver these supports. To ensure accountability, the Department of Education will determine how to distribute the money, and schools must report on how they use the funds.
This New Jersey bill prohibits state law enforcement officers from participating in civil immigration enforcement operations unless a valid judicial warrant is issued. The legislation defines a judicial warrant as one based on probable cause and issued by a federal or state judge, while a law enforcement officer is anyone with the power to arrest or convict offenders. To ensure compliance, the Attorney General must create guidelines that direct how these restrictions are implemented. The law takes effect immediately upon passage.
This bill allows New Jersey school districts to classify absences as excused when a student's parent or guardian is detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement or when a designated caregiver changes due to such detention. To support these students, the legislation also permits districts to offer home or out-of-school instruction if the student cannot attend regular classes because of the family's immigration situation. The State Commissioner of Education is tasked with creating specific guidelines to ensure districts have clear procedures for verifying absences and delivering alternative education. These changes would take effect at the start of the first full school year following the bill's enactment.
This bill requires New Jersey public schools to adopt a policy that restricts their interaction with federal immigration authorities. Specifically, it prohibits schools from sharing student records regarding immigration status, allowing federal agents on school property, or assisting in civil immigration investigations. The law distinguishes between civil warrants, which schools must not honor, and judicial warrants issued by a judge, which schools may still comply with. School districts have 180 days to implement these rules, which aim to prevent the use of school resources for immigration enforcement.
This bill prohibits the use of publicly owned or controlled lands in New Jersey, such as parking lots, vacant lots, and garages, as staging areas or processing locations for federal immigration enforcement. It directly affects municipalities, counties, and state agencies by restricting how their property can be utilized for immigration operations while allowing existing leases to continue. The legislation requires officials to install signage on affected properties and provides free standardized signs for eligible private landowners like businesses and nonprofits to display similar restrictions. Additionally, the bill directs the Department of Community Affairs to publish online information about the rights of tenants and employees regarding federal immigration authority entry on public property.
This bill codifies New Jersey's Attorney General's "Strengthening Trust Between Law Enforcement and Immigrant Communities" directive into law. It directly affects all New Jersey state, county, and municipal law enforcement agencies and officers by prohibiting them from: (1) stopping or detaining people based solely on immigration status, (2) asking about immigration status except during specific criminal investigations, and (3) sharing personal information with federal immigration authorities for immigration enforcement purposes. The law clarifies that officers' primary duty is enforcing state criminal laws, not federal immigration law, and emphasizes that this does not prevent enforcing state criminal laws. The goal is to build trust in immigrant communities and ensure law enforcement resources focus on public safety rather than immigration enforcement.
This bill (A 1371) allows parents or legal custodians separated from their children due to federal immigration actions - such as detention, arrest, or removal - to formally appoint a standby guardian for their minor child. It expands existing standby guardianship law to specifically include "administrative separation" caused by immigration enforcement. Parents can designate a guardian through written consent (without needing medical proof for immigration-related cases), and the guardian assumes care upon the parent's separation, without terminating parental rights. The bill directly affects immigrant parents facing immigration enforcement actions who wish to secure childcare arrangements in advance.
This New Jersey bill (S 3711) allows individuals to file civil lawsuits against those conducting immigration enforcement who knowingly violate the U.S. Constitution. It directly affects people subjected to immigration enforcement actions and the officers or entities performing them. The law permits claims for monetary damages - including punitive damages, psychological harm, and attorney fees - and requires courts to consider specific factors when awarding punitive damages, such as whether an officer wore a facial covering, failed to identify themselves, or used crowd control equipment. Qualified immunity remains a defense against liability under this act.
This bill, the New Jersey Immigrant Trust Act (A-1400), prohibits state and local government agencies - including law enforcement, schools, and hospitals - from cooperating with federal immigration authorities on immigration detainer requests that lack judicial warrants. It directly affects immigrants and their families by ensuring they can access public services like healthcare and education without fear of deportation. Key provisions ban agencies from holding individuals beyond their release date based on federal immigration detainers (like I-247 forms) and require them to prioritize local safety over federal immigration enforcement. The law aims to prevent unconstitutional detentions and maintain community trust in public services, as federal detainers have been found to violate constitutional rights in multiple courts.
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.
