U.S. Attorney for New Jersey, Alina Habba, has officially launched an investigation into Governor Phil Murphy (D-NJ) and state Attorney General Matt Platkin over their controversial directive that prohibits local law enforcement from cooperating with federal immigration officials.
At the center of the probe is New Jersey’s 2018 Immigrant Trust Directive, a policy that limits communication and collaboration between local police and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The directive prevents officers from honoring ICE detainers, sharing release dates of undocumented immigrants, or participating in immigration enforcement operations unless required by a judicial warrant.
“This is about obstruction,” Habba said during a televised interview. “Anybody who breaks federal law will be charged in the state of New Jersey for obstruction, for concealment… I will come after them HARD.”
The investigation signals a sharp reversal from previous federal attitudes toward New Jersey’s immigration policy. Habba, appointed by President Donald Trump, argues that the directive not only undermines federal law but puts public safety at risk. “If a state policy prevents law enforcement from doing its job and puts American citizens in danger, we will act,” she added.
Despite previous legal victories defending the policy — including a Third Circuit Court of Appeals ruling in 2021 upholding the directive — Habba’s office believes there are grounds to pursue state-level obstruction charges against individuals or entities enforcing the policy.
Governor Murphy has long defended the directive, claiming it builds trust between police and immigrant communities and helps ensure that crimes are reported without fear of deportation. His office has yet to release an official response to the investigation.
As the investigation unfolds, it sets the stage for a high-stakes legal battle over states’ rights, federal authority, and immigration enforcement — one that could have far-reaching implications nationwide.
