One of the most significant victories during the 2025-2026 Lame Duck Session of the New Jersey Legislature was the passage of a package of immigrant protections, which broke the Immigrant Trust Act into three separate laws. Together, these measures strengthen privacy, due process, and access to essential services. Governor Murphy signed the Safe Communities Act but pocket vetoed the other two.

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• Safe Communities Act directs the Attorney General to develop model policies for “sensitive locations,” ensuring safe access to schools, health care facilities, libraries, food pantries, and social services. 

• Immigrant Trust Directive Codification preserves the Attorney General’s Immigrant Trust Directive with key updates that strengthen due process protections for all New Jerseyans.

• Privacy Protection Act establishes strong data-privacy protections across state agencies and reaffirms safeguards on MVC and ALPR data sharing.

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In February 2026, the Privacy Protection Act and an amended Immigrant Trust Directive were re-introduced. The NJ Alliance for Immigrant Justice, the NJ Leagues and partner organizations support the Privacy Protection Act as it stands. But the 2026 Immigrant Trust Directive was watered down without the input of the impacted communities and advocates, and does not do enough to protect against unchecked ICE enforcement and harm.