The United States District Court District of New Jersey has upheld Attorney General Gurbir Grewal’s Immigrant Trust Directive.
The directive, issued by Grewal in 2018, limits the ability of local, county and state law enforcement agencies from assisting the federal government in enforcing federal immigration laws.
But officials in Cape May and Ocean counties filed a lawsuit over the directive, claiming that it was unconstitutional.
The court ruled Wednesday that the directive can continue.
“Today, the court recognized what we have said all along: New Jersey has the authority to draw a clear, bright line between the work of state law enforcement officers and federal civil immigration officers. This line is more important than ever, as we work hard every day to build and restore trust between New Jersey’s police officers and historically marginalized communities,” Grewal said in a statement.