This bill aims to prohibit municipalities and counties in New Jersey from adopting any ordinances or resolutions that would require officials to refuse or fail to cooperate with federal immigration authorities. Any existing ordinances that conflict with this requirement will be rendered void. Additionally, members of municipal or county governing bodies who vote for such non-cooperation policies after the bill's effective date will be guilty of a misdemeanor, facing potential fines and imprisonment, as well as forfeiture of their office. The bill also mandates that local government officers and employees must comply with lawful requests from federal agencies regarding immigration enforcement.

Furthermore, the bill establishes that the State will defend and indemnify municipal employees or officers against civil actions arising from their cooperation with federal immigration authorities, provided their actions do not stem from intentional misconduct. It amends existing ethics codes to include provisions that require cooperation with federal immigration requests, thereby reinforcing the accountability of state and local officials in immigration matters. The bill is a response to concerns about sanctuary city policies and aims to ensure that New Jersey does not adopt similar practices that could lead to public safety issues.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 40A:9-22.5, 52:13D-23