
New Jersey Gov. Sherrill Signs Law Restricting Masked ICE Agents
New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill signed legislation Wednesday requiring law enforcement officers — including federal immigration agents — to present identification before detaining someone, becoming the latest Democratic governor to push back against the practice of masked federal agents conducting immigration raids.
The law limits the use of face coverings by officers during enforcement operations and is part of a broader legislative package Sherrill says will “protect people’s privacy and their rights” and “strengthen trust between law enforcement and our communities.”
“I can’t believe we have to say this, but in the United States of America, we’re not going to tolerate masked roving militias pretending to be well-trained law enforcement agents,” Sherrill said at the signing.
The measure comes amid widespread reports of federal agents concealing their identities during immigration operations across the country. Democrats in Congress and state legislatures have spent months pushing similar legislation, arguing that masking undermines accountability and transparency.
Wednesday’s signing is the latest move in Sherrill’s escalating standoff with the Trump administration over immigration enforcement. Earlier this year, the governor launched a portal allowing residents to upload photos and videos of ICE agents conducting operations in the state. “If you see an ICE agent in the street, get your phone out, we want to know,” she said at the time.
Sherrill has also issued an executive order barring federal immigration agents from making arrests in nonpublic areas of state property — including correctional facilities and courthouses — and prohibiting the use of state facilities as staging or processing areas for immigration enforcement. The Trump administration has filed suit against New Jersey over that order.
“We saw people in the street with masks and no insignia — not accountable at all, hiding from the population,” she said. “We saw again and again an undermining of what law enforcement should do to keep people safe.”