PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — The federal government is suing the state of New Jersey and Gov. Mikie Sherrill over her executive order barring ICE from using state property to stage, process or conduct immigration enforcement.
In a lawsuit filed Monday in New Jersey federal court, the Justice Department said an executive order issued by Sherrill on Feb. 11 violates the supremacy clause of the U.S. Constitution, which “prohibits a state from usurping Congress.”
Sherrill’s executive order bars immigration officers from using state property to conduct their operations. The Justice Department argues the order impedes immigration enforcement, discriminates against federal officers, and attempts to regulate the federal government.
The lawsuit says ICE agents “exercise discretion and common sense in carrying out their duties, including in deciding where arrests and other enforcement actions should be undertaken to best ensure the safety of the community.”
The New Jersey Attorney General’s Office countered the lawsuit in a public statement, saying, “Instead of working with us to promote public safety and protect our state’s residents, the Trump administration is wasting its resources on a pointless legal challenge.”