New Bill Aims to Block Public Funding for ICE Detention Centers in New Jersey

Measure would prohibit state and local tax dollars from supporting controversial immigrant detention facilities

Apr. 1, 2026 at 11:18pm

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A new bill introduced in the New Jersey legislature would bar officials from spending state or local tax dollars to build, run, or subsidize immigrant detention centers operated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The measure is part of a broader push to limit ICE's presence and operations in the state.

Why it matters

The bill is the latest in a series of measures proposed by New Jersey lawmakers to restrict ICE's activities, including banning agents from wearing masks and limiting local police cooperation with federal immigration authorities. The move reflects growing opposition to ICE detention centers, which have faced criticism over poor conditions and human rights concerns.

The details

The proposed legislation, S-3864, would prohibit towns, counties, or the state from using public money to fund the controversial detention facilities, while still allowing spending on health and safety services for detainees. It would also ban local governments from selling, leasing, or donating any publicly owned property for use as a detention camp, and stop the state from renovating public properties for that purpose.

  • The bill was introduced in the New Jersey state Senate in March 2026.
  • The Assembly version, A-4167, has been sent to the State and Local Government Committee.

The players

Benjie Wimberly

A Democratic state senator from Passaic County who sponsored the bill in the state Senate.

Mikie Sherrill

The first-term Democratic governor of New Jersey who has already signed several bills aimed at limiting ICE's activities in the state.

GEO Group

A private prison operator that runs the Delaney Hall detention facility in Newark, New Jersey.

CoreCivic

A private prison operator that runs the Elizabeth Contract Detention Facility in Elizabeth, New Jersey.

Sally Pillay

The director of the Mami Chelo Foundation, a New York City nonprofit that provides legal support and financial assistance to immigrants facing deportation.

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What they’re saying

“It's a good step forward; it shows the state is being progressive. It's a real structural victory.”

— Sally Pillay, Director, Mami Chelo Foundation

“But I think most of us in the activist network probably feel it's not transformative enough. The facilities still operate, right? They're federally funded, people are still being detained, people are still being deported.”

— Sally Pillay, Director, Mami Chelo Foundation

“In the past two months, we've watched poorly trained, masked ICE agents put communities across the country in danger. In this state, we have drawn a line, no, not here.”

— Mikie Sherrill, Governor of New Jersey

“Sanctuary politicians attempting to ban our federal law enforcement from wearing masks is despicable and a flagrant attempt to endanger our officers. To be crystal clear: we will not abide by this unconstitutional ban ... New Jersey's sanctuary politicians do not control federal law enforcement.”

— Lauren Bis, Acting Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs, U.S. Department of Homeland Security

What’s next

The bill currently sits in the state Senate's Law and Public Safety Committee, and the Assembly version has been sent to the State and Local Government Committee. If passed, the measure would prohibit state and local governments from funding ICE detention centers in New Jersey.

The takeaway

This bill reflects the growing opposition to ICE detention centers in New Jersey and the state's efforts to limit the federal agency's presence and operations. While the measure is seen as a step in the right direction by some advocates, others argue it does not go far enough in addressing the broader issues surrounding immigration detention.