Murphy signs law to create ‘safe zones’ to block ICE agents - but rejects 2 other bills
nj.com • • nation
Key Points:
- Governor Phil Murphy signed a bill designating hospitals, schools, and places of worship as "safe zones," barring ICE agents from entering without a judicial warrant, while vetoing two other immigration enforcement limitation bills.
- The signed legislation mandates the state attorney general to publish model policies for sensitive locations and develop a separate policy to keep ICE out of places of worship, aiming to protect immigrants seeking essential services.
- Murphy used a pocket veto on bills that would limit information-sharing with federal authorities and make the state's Immigrant Trust Directive a law, citing concerns over legal challenges and potential conflicts with federal law.
- Advocates and immigrant rights groups criticized Murphy's vetoes for undermining protections against federal immigration enforcement and argued the bills were designed to withstand legal scrutiny
