The U.S. Department of Justice filed a lawsuit Tuesday against New Jersey and Democratic Gov. Mikie Sherrill, accusing the state of unlawfully obstructing federal immigration enforcement through a new executive order.

The suit, announced in a DOJ press release, targets Executive Order No. 12, signed by Sherrill on Feb. 11. The order prohibits U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents from conducting civil immigration arrests in nonpublic areas of state-owned property, including correctional facilities, office buildings, and parking lots, absent a judicial warrant. It also bars the use of such properties for staging, processing, or transferring individuals subject to immigration detainers.

Attorney General Pamela Bondi said the policy endangers federal officers and the public. "Federal agents are risking their lives to keep New Jersey citizens safe, and yet New Jersey’s leaders are enacting policies designed to obstruct and endanger law enforcement," she stated. Bondi added, "States may not deliberately interfere with our efforts to remove illegal aliens and arrest criminals. New Jersey’s sanctuary policies will not stand."

The DOJ alleges the order violates the Constitution's Supremacy Clause by discriminating against federal immigration authorities and interfering with Congress's immigration powers. It claims the restrictions lead to the release of criminal noncitizens convicted of offenses such as aggravated assault, burglary, drug trafficking, and human trafficking, who ICE would otherwise have detained.

Sherrill, a former U.S. Congresswoman who took office last month, issued the order amid heightened federal immigration enforcement under President Trump. The measure aligns with New Jersey's longstanding sanctuary policies, which limit local cooperation with ICE on civil immigration matters.

This lawsuit continues the Trump administration's campaign against sanctuary jurisdictions. In August 2025, the DOJ published a list of noncompliant areas and directed its Civil Division to pursue litigation. Similar suits have targeted cities in New Jersey, including Newark, Jersey City, Paterson, and Hoboken, as well as policies in New York, Minnesota, and Los Angeles.

Prior challenges have had mixed results. A suit against New York restrictions at courthouses was dismissed in November 2025, while cases against other sanctuary measures continue.

A spokesman for Sherrill had no immediate comment on the lawsuit. The case was filed in federal court in New Jersey.