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S3813
SENATE, No. 3813
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
222nd LEGISLATURE
�
INTRODUCED MARCH 5, 2026
Sponsored by:
Senator� BRIAN P. STACK
District 33 (Hudson)
SYNOPSIS
���� Prohibits immigration enforcement on certain public
lands; appropriates funds.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
���� As introduced.
��
An Act
concerning public land
and immigration enforcement, supplementing Title 52 of the Revised Statutes,
and making an appropriation.
����
Be It
Enacted
by the Senate and General Assembly of
the State of New Jersey:
���� 1.��� The Legislature finds
and declares that:
���� a.���� New Jersey is committed
to ensuring the safety, dignity, and human rights of all residents, regardless
of race, religion, immigration status, or national origin.
���� b.��� Federal immigration
enforcement activities have historically undermined community trust, spread
fear, and created barriers to accessing essential services provided by local
government entities.
���� c.���� Our State has long
recognized that public safety is best achieved through trust and collaboration
between residents and government, not through the militarization or
deputization of local resources in service of federal immigration enforcement.
���� d.��� The unauthorized use of
local government resources, such as property and personnel, to facilitate
federal immigration enforcement actions interferes with the authority
municipalities, counties, and the State have over their own property and
personnel.
���� e.���� Therefore, it is in the
public interest to prohibit the use of locally owned or controlled public lands
for federal immigration enforcement.
���� 2.��� a.� As used in this act:
���� �Director� means the Director
of the Division of Local Government Services in the Department of Community
Affairs.
���� �Staging area� means a space
that is used to assemble, mobilize, or deploy vehicles, equipment, or materials
and related personnel for the purpose of carrying out federal immigration
enforcement operations.
���� b.��� A publicly owned or
publicly controlled parking lot, vacant lot, or garage shall not be used as a
staging area, processing location, or operations base for immigration
enforcement.
���� c.���� Subsection b. of this
section shall not be applicable to a property that is subject to an existing
lease or concession agreement to which the State or a political subdivision of
the State is a party.
���� d.��� The director shall
identify all public lands held by a municipality, a county, or the State that
has been used or is likely to be targeted for use in violation of subsection b.
of this section.
���� e.���� The director shall
issue to the controlling authority for each property identified pursuant to
subsection d. of this section guidelines instructing that:
���� (1)�� where appropriate,
physical barriers such as locked gates shall be used to limit access to the
property; and
���� (2)�� a public employee who
becomes aware of a violation or attempted violation of subsection b. of this
section shall inform the employee�s supervisor or the director.
���� f.���� The director shall
prepare and issue to the controlling authority of each area identified pursuant
to subsection d. of this section signage stating the following:
�THIS
PROPERTY IS OWNED AND CONTROLLED BY THE MUNICPALITY, COUNTY, OR STATE.� IT MAY
NOT BE USED FOR IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT AS A
STAGING
AREA,
PROCESSING
LOCATION,
OR
OPERATIONS BASE.�
���� 3.��� a.� The director shall,
upon the request of an eligible private landowner or leaseholder of a parking
lot, vacant lot, or garage, issue standardized signage indicating that the
designated property may not be used for immigration enforcement as a staging area,
processing location, or operations base.
���� b.��� A private landowner or
leaseholder shall be eligible for signage issued pursuant to subsection a. of
this section if the property owner or leaseholder is a business, faith
institution, medical services provider, or a nonprofit corporation as defined
by section 3 of P.L.1987, c.431 (C.17:49A-3).
���� c.���� Only one sign shall be
issued for a property pursuant to this section, for which the private landowner
or leaseholder shall not be charged a fee.
���� d.��� A private landowner or
leaseholder who posts signage issued pursuant to this section shall assume any
legal obligation incurred as a result of the display of the sign.
���� 4.��� The Commissioner of
Community Affairs shall, in consultation with the Attorney General, publish on
the Internet website of the Department of Community Affairs information
concerning the rights of tenants, employees, and security staff of publicly
owned or publicly controlled property with regard to the entry of federal
immigration authorities.
���� 5.��� a.� Nothing in this act
shall be construed to restrict or interfere with the execution of judicial
warrants in the enforcement of criminal law or limit the rights of any person
or entity under State or federal law.�
���� b.��� Nothing in this act
shall be construed to prohibit the lawful use of publicly owned or publicly
controlled property for a purpose other than a staging area, processing
location, or operations base for immigration enforcement.
���� 6.��� There is appropriated
from the General Fund to the Division of Local Government Services in the
Department of Community Affairs such sums as shall be necessary to implement
the provisions of this act.
���� 7.��� This act shall take
effect immediately.
STATEMENT
���� This bill prohibits the use of
publicly owned or controlled property for certain immigration enforcement
activities.
���� Under the bill, a parking lot,
vacant lot, or garage that is owned or controlled by a municipality, a county,
or the State is prohibited from being used as a staging area, processing
location, or operations base for immigration enforcement.� The bill defines a
staging area as an area that is used to assemble, mobilize, or deploy vehicles,
equipment, or materials and related personnel for the purpose of federal civil
immigration operations.
���� The bill requires the Director
of the Division of Local Government Services in the Department of Community
Affairs to identify all public land held by a municipality, county, or the
State that has been used or is likely to be targeted for use for immigration
enforcement as a staging area, processing location, or operations base.� The
director is required to prepare and issue signs for placement on identified
public spaces indicating that the property is owned or controlled by a
municipality, a county, or the State and may not be used for immigration
enforcement.� The bill also requires the director to issue to the controlling
authority for each identified space guidance specifying that physical barriers,
such as locked gates, are to be used where appropriate to limit unauthorized
access.
���� The bill further requires the
director to prepare and issue, upon request by eligible property owners or
leaseholders, signage indicating that a private parking lot, vacant lot, or
garage is not to be used for immigration enforcement.� Under the bill, eligible
property owners and lessors include business owners, faith-based institutions,
medical services providers, and nonprofits.� The bill provides that one sign
per property would be made available at no cost to the owner.