New Jersey Attorney General Gurbir Grewal says he plans to announce a new directive on state and local law enforcement’s relationship with federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents.
Grewal says the 2007 directive does not reflect the immigration realities of today.
“If federal immigration authorities have a criminal warrant and they need our assistance in executing criminal warrants, we’ll cooperate. But we’re not here as state law enforcement officers to enforce civil immigration laws.”
State Police Superintendent Patrick Callahan says Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents haven’t asked troopers to do that.
“Not at the state level. We’ve not been asked to participate in any of the civil actions that the general alluded to.”
Grewal says law enforcement officers, prosecutors, and civil rights groups are providing input on the new guidance that should be announced within the next month.
“We work hard to encourage minority communities to come out of the shadows to report crimes. And when they feel that they can’t come and report a crime because we may somehow enforce federal civil immigration laws, that makes it harder for the troopers in the state and 30,000 plus law enforcement officers to do their jobs.”