The civic record
Read. Follow. Verify.New Jersey Bill Prohibits Sanctuary City Policies and Penalizes Non-Cooperation with Federal Immigration Requests
Last action · January 13, 2026: Introduced, Referred to Assembly Oversight, Reform and Federal Relations CommitteeSponsors: Dawn Fantasia and 5 others
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What This Bill Would Do
New Jersey prohibits municipalities and counties from adopting policies and establishes that refusing to cooperate with federal immigration enforcement is an ethics violation for public employees. Officials who vote for non-cooperation policies face fines, imprisonment, and forfeiture of office. The State will defend and local employees acting in cooperation with federal immigration requests, provided there is no willful misconduct.
Local government employees and elected officials face personal criminal liability, loss of office, and ethics penalties if they enact policies limiting cooperation with federal immigration enforcement, while municipal officers receive state-backed legal defense and indemnification when cooperating with federal authorities.
Who It Would Affect
Groups the bill's text would affect if enacted, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
Municipal and county governing bodies
Governing bodies are prohibited from passing non-cooperation ordinances, and individual members face fines, imprisonment, and forfeiture of office for voting in favor of sanctuary policies.
State and local government employees and officers
Employees are legally mandated to cooperate with federal immigration requests under ethics rules, while receiving state defense and indemnification for actions taken during such cooperation.
Federal immigration authorities
Federal agencies gain mandated cooperation from local and state jurisdictions across New Jersey in immigration enforcement matters.
Key Facts
You don't have to trust us. Each fact below is taken straight from the official document - click any one to see the exact passage, highlighted in the original.
Frequently Asked Questions
What happens to existing sanctuary city ordinances in New Jersey if this bill passes?
What are the penalties for local officials who vote for a sanctuary city policy under this legislation?
Will local employees be protected if they face lawsuits for cooperating with federal immigration authorities?
What else do you want to know?
News Coverage
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Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
Currently in committee. The next step in the legislative lifecycle is Floor Vote.
Procedural history
1 action- Jan 13, 2026HouseIntroducedIntroduced, Referred to Assembly Oversight, Reform and Federal Relations Committee
Version history
Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.
View official text →Lobbying Activity
No state lobbying filings in our records match this bill. Federal lobbying reports (LDA) cover Congress, so they are not listed on state bills.
Full breakdown
Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.
Sponsors
Show 1 more sponsor
Discoveries
Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.
Shift from Local Discretion to State Mandates on Immigration
The bill shifts authority by overriding local municipal discretion regarding immigration enforcement cooperation and establishing criminal penalties for local officials who enact non-cooperation policies.
Connected Entities
Sources
njleg.state.nj.us
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance80How much this matters to a regular citizen
- Controversy90Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment15Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz75Current news / social attention level
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