Gov. Mikie Sherrill and acting state Attorney General Jennifer Davenport on Wednesday debuted a new state portal allowing residents to upload photos and videos of ICE agents and federal immigration activity, banned them from state property, and launched a know your rights website. Illustration by Advance Local; photo by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement
Gov. Mikie Sherrill on Wednesday unveiled a statewide portal for residents in New Jersey to upload photos and videos of federal immigration activity as her administration moves to more aggressively scrutinize the work of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Standing alongside acting state Attorney General Jennifer Davenport, Sherrill also announced a new “know your rights” website and signed an executive order barring ICE agents from accessing non‑public areas of state property without a judicial warrant.
The ban will also prevent agents from using property as staging areas for operations.
“We have seen dozens, even hundreds of videos of Donald Trump’s ICE agents abusing their power, smashing cars, tear gassing families, gunning down American citizens and violating our most basic rights,” Sherrill, a Democrat, said during a news conference, her first at the Statehouse in Trenton.
Sherrill, a frequent Trump critic, previewed the portal in late January during an appearance on “The Daily Show,” where she urged residents to film ICE operations and submit the footage to the state.
“So we see agents hiding behind masks, no insignias, constantly changing license plates, breaking the core principles of what good policing needs to be to keep people safe,” Sherrill said at Wednesday’s event.
State officials have said the database will allow residents to upload photos, videos and information about ICE activity, with the material reviewed by the Attorney General’s Office.
Davenport also signaled she was willing to prosecute federal agents for violations of state law.
“While we cannot guarantee any particular action by our office in response to reports on the portal, we will review every report with care,” she said.
The Sherrill administration has framed the initiative as a transparency measure meant to track federal enforcement and document potential misconduct. Similar portals have already launched in New York and California.
The governor’s push comes amid heightened ICE activity in New Jersey and a series of high‑profile incidents that have drawn national scrutiny.
Recent enforcement actions, including armed operations in Hoboken and Jersey City, have led to public outcry, local criticisms of federal agencies, and an increase in “know your rights” sessions held by advocacy groups.
The plan for a state portal to document ICE agents at work has drawn a mixed response.
Immigrant‑rights organizations have praised the portal as a tool for accountability, while opponents painted the measure as hostile to federal law enforcement.
The move by the administration to ban the agents from state property was hailed by the ACLU of New Jersey.
“New Jersey cannot be complicit as federal agents terrorize our residents and attack our fundamental constitutional freedoms — the time for action and leadership is now,” said ACLU-NJ Director Amol Sinha. “By using her executive power to hold ICE accountable, Gov. Sherrill is doing what every governor across the country should be doing.”
Critics argue that encouraging residents to film federal agents could create safety concerns or interfere with operations.
“If the goal is to protect communities and ensure public trust, launching an online portal that encourages people to record and report immigration enforcement activity misses the mark and risks escalating an already heated situation,” said state Senate Minority Leader Anthony Bucco, R-Morris.
“New Jersey can and should be a model for lowering the temperature, encouraging open communication, and building on the many positive efforts that are already underway to strengthen trust between our communities, government, and law enforcement,” Bucco added.
State Assembly Minority Leader John DiMaio, R-Warren, offered a sharper critique.
“Federal immigration authorities have arrested individuals convicted of sexual assault, crimes against children and other violent offenses in our state,” DiMaio said. “Instead of supporting those efforts, the governor is siding with activists who want to shame and obstruct officers.”
Sherrill pushed back against the criticism.
“To be clear, we are not asking anyone to jump in harm’s way or create an unsafe situation for themselves or for agents,” she said. “People should record from a safe distance, but we know these agents aren’t sharing their plans or their identities. They don’t even bother to check if they’re arresting American citizens by mistake.”
ICE officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
