ACLU-NJ Statement on Gov. Murphy’s Pocket Vetoes of Meaningful Protections for New Jersey’s Immigrant Communities

Today, Gov. Murphy signed one bill into law that will advance immigrants’ rights – the Safe Communities Act (A6308/S5036), which calls on the Attorney General to develop model policies for schools, hospitals, shelters, food pantries, and other essential services.

At the same time, Gov. Murphy opted to pocket veto the two more significant bills in the immigrant protections bill package: A6309/S5037, the Privacy Protection Act, a bill that he conditional vetoed last week and that would have created data privacy protections, and A6310/S5038, a bill that would have codified the state’s Immigrant Trust Directive into law thereby ensuring local resources are used to provide important municipal services rather than fund the federal deportation machine. Together, the three bills would have ensured that the state’s clear authority to direct the use of its own resources was exercised to protect New Jerseyans, almost 1 in 4 of whom are immigrants and 1 in 6 of whom have at least one immigrant parent.

In response, ACLU-NJ Executive Director Amol Sinha issued the following statement:

“In recent years, New Jersey has taken important strides in expanding and protecting immigrants’ rights, even in the face of escalating attacks by the federal government. The Safe Communities Act signed by Gov. Murphy today will continue that mission. However, we are deeply disappointed that Governor Murphy pocket vetoed the two more meaningful bills within the immigrant protection package, A6309/S5037 and A6310/S5038, which would have created much needed protections for the 9.5 million New Jerseyans that call this state home. In failing to sign these bills, Governor Murphy has left New Jersey without critical protections at a moment when ICE is brutalizing our communities. These bills were legally sound, politically viable, and commonsense policy. We call on Governor-elect Sherrill, her administration, and the Legislature to establish data privacy protections and ensure state and local resources are not commandeered for federal immigration enforcement – we have no time to waste.”