The civic record
Read. Follow. Verify.New Jersey Bill A213 Imposes Criminal Penalties for Harboring Undocumented Immigrants with Outstanding Warrants
Last action · January 13, 2026: Introduced, Referred to Assembly Oversight, Reform and Federal Relations CommitteeSponsors: Dawn Fantasia and 1 other
Track this bill to get notified when it advances a stage. One tap to stop, anytime.
What This Bill Would Do
Assembly Bill 213 amends New Jersey law to classify the harboring or concealing of an unlawfully present alien who has an outstanding arrest or immigration warrant as a . The measure also establishes that an unlawfully present alien who hinders their own apprehension or deportation commits a , subject to a human trafficking .
Residents, property owners, and employers face fourth-degree felony charges carrying up to 18 months in prison and $10,000 in fines if they knowingly harbor or assist individuals who are unlawfully present and possess outstanding warrants.
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.
unlawfully present aliens
Individuals unlawfully present in the U.S. face criminal liability and potential disorderly persons charges for hindering their own apprehension or deportation.
New Jersey residents and property owners
Residents and property owners face fourth-degree criminal penalties if they knowingly harbor, conceal, or aid unlawfully present individuals who have outstanding warrants.
law enforcement officers
Law enforcement personnel are granted expanded statutory grounds to investigate and charge individuals who hinder the apprehension of targeted individuals.
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 criminal charge applies to harboring an unlawfully present alien under this bill?
Are there any exceptions or defenses for individuals who hinder their own apprehension?
What penalties are associated with a crime of the fourth degree in New Jersey?
What else do you want to know?
News Coverage
Follow the record
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
Discoveries
Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.
Expansion of State Hindering Statutes to Federal Warrants
The legislation explicitly integrates U.S. Department of Homeland Security immigration warrants into New Jersey state hindering apprehension statutes.
Connected Entities
Sources
njleg.state.nj.us
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance65How much this matters to a regular citizen
- Controversy80Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment10Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz45Current news / social attention level
Publisher tools