New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy signed one bill into law on his final day in office, adding protections for immigrants, but vetoed two other related measures.
The Safe Communities Act, which is now law, aims to safeguard the personal freedoms of immigrants at public spaces such as hospitals, schools, courthouses, and places of worship. The state must develop a plan within 180 days to protect these freedoms, with agencies required to implement the policies by that time. Murphy signed this bill on Tuesday, after the inauguration of his successor, Democrat Mikie Sherrill.
However, Murphy vetoed two other bills passed by the state Senate in January. One of them was the Privacy Protections Act, which aimed to limit government agencies and healthcare providers' ability to ask about immigration status for public benefit eligibility. The governor expressed concerns that this bill included an oversight that could jeopardize billions of federal funding dollars for New Jersey.
Murphy also vetoed a third bill that would have codified a 2018 attorney general directive on law enforcement officers' behavior regarding suspected citizenship status and restricted their ability to assist federal immigration authorities. He stated his concern that signing this bill could lead to new court challenges and put the Immigrant Trust Directive at risk, which would harm hundreds of thousands of immigrants in New Jersey.
Immigration activists have criticized Murphy's decision, with Amol Sinha, executive director of ACLU-NJ, describing it as "deeply disappointing" and leaving communities vulnerable. The organization is now calling on Governor-elect Sherrill to establish data privacy protections and ensure state resources are not commandeered for federal immigration enforcement.
The Safe Communities Act, which is now law, aims to safeguard the personal freedoms of immigrants at public spaces such as hospitals, schools, courthouses, and places of worship. The state must develop a plan within 180 days to protect these freedoms, with agencies required to implement the policies by that time. Murphy signed this bill on Tuesday, after the inauguration of his successor, Democrat Mikie Sherrill.
However, Murphy vetoed two other bills passed by the state Senate in January. One of them was the Privacy Protections Act, which aimed to limit government agencies and healthcare providers' ability to ask about immigration status for public benefit eligibility. The governor expressed concerns that this bill included an oversight that could jeopardize billions of federal funding dollars for New Jersey.
Murphy also vetoed a third bill that would have codified a 2018 attorney general directive on law enforcement officers' behavior regarding suspected citizenship status and restricted their ability to assist federal immigration authorities. He stated his concern that signing this bill could lead to new court challenges and put the Immigrant Trust Directive at risk, which would harm hundreds of thousands of immigrants in New Jersey.
Immigration activists have criticized Murphy's decision, with Amol Sinha, executive director of ACLU-NJ, describing it as "deeply disappointing" and leaving communities vulnerable. The organization is now calling on Governor-elect Sherrill to establish data privacy protections and ensure state resources are not commandeered for federal immigration enforcement.
just dont understand why murphy vetos 2 good bills 
, like whats the point of having laws if u just gonna veto them lol 
anywayz, its defo a step in the right direction with safe communities act tho 
now we gotta wait and see how governor sherrill handles it 
hope she puts more pressure on feds to stop messin w/ immigrants 
anyway back to this immigration stuff, i feel like we should focus more on the environment tho like have u seen those vids of the polar bears struggling to stay afloat? 
it's wild how we're still debating about human rights when our planet is literally dying 
i feel so bad for those immigrants in new jersey... they're already going through so much stress and uncertainty, and now governor murphy's decision is gonna leave them even more vulnerable 
it's like, they just need some protection and respect, you know? and then there are these bills that could have really helped... the privacy protections act and the immigrant trust directive... what's up with that 
! It's about time we protected immigrants' rights in our state. I mean, they're already here, you know? They deserve some basic freedoms too 
. But, seriously, it's not just about immigration status – it's about respecting people's personal space and dignity.
. I mean, the Safe Communities Act is about time tho, at least its not all bad news. But those two other bills that got vetoed? Forget about it 
. The Privacy Protections Act would've helped keep gov't from prying into ppl's private info and now we gotta deal with the fallout 
. And that bill on law enforcement and immigration, Murphy's just playing it safe by not signing it 
, they can finally feel safe going to hospitals, schools, or even just talking to a cop without worrying that their status is gonna be used against them 
. and its not just immigrants, its also ppl with disabilities, students, or people of color who might face extra scrutiny already 
. so yeah, its kinda cool that gov murphy signed this into law on his last day in office 
. but those two bills he vetoed, i can see why hes worried about the funding and court challenges... maybe governor sherrill will be able to find a better solution tho? 
can't wait to see how mikie sherrill follows through on her promises! 
. The Safe Communities Act is actually pretty bold, so I'm curious to see how it plays out 
. Hopefully, the new governor will address the concerns and keep those communities safe 