the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Trenton NJ, the U.S. Department of Justice is turning up the heat on New Jersey’s dangerous sanctuary status, demanding federal judges overturn the 2018 Immigrant Trust Directive that shields illegal immigrants from ICE. With the Trump administration suing Paterson, Hoboken, Jersey City, and Newark, and a Supreme Court ruling greenlighting ethnicity-based ICE stops, New Jersey is ground zero in the battle against unchecked illegal immigration. Recent Maplewood arrests signal a crackdown is coming .
A May 2023 report by New Jersey Assembly policy staff found that New Jersey spends $7.3 billion to attend to the state’s 894,000 illegal aliens (Kanitra, 2024). These expenditures are largely associated with health care, education, welfare services, and criminal justice related matters.
The Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) estimated that there were some 15.5 million illegal immigrants in the United States, a number which rises to 20.9 million when their children are included (FAIR, 2023(a)).
FAIR estimates that illegal immigrants’ combined cost to both federal, state, and local governments was $150.7 billion at the beginning of 2023. FAIR arrived at this number by subtracting illegal immigrants’ estimated tax contributions from appropriations associated with illegal immigration. Of that total, FAIR estimates $115.6 billion is paid by state and local jurisdictions (FAIR, 2023(a)).
DOJ Targets NJ’s Immigrant Trust Directive: A Sanctuary Smokescreen
On September 9, 2025, the U.S. Department of Justice filed a bold motion, urging federal judges to strike down New Jersey’s 2018 Immigrant Trust Directive, which bans local police from aiding ICE in deporting illegal immigrants. As reported by the New Jersey Monitor, the DOJ cites the “current crisis” of illegal immigration, arguing the directive protects lawbreakers. The Trump administration’s lawsuits against Paterson, Hoboken, Jersey City, and Newark slam their even stricter sanctuary policies, accusing them of harboring criminals and undermining federal law.
Maplewood ICE Raids: The Crackdown Begins
On September 8, 2025, ICE agents swooped into Maplewood, NJ, in unmarked cars, arresting two unidentified men at 11 a.m., according to Mayor Nancy Adams. This follows a U.S. Supreme Court ruling the same day allowing ICE to question individuals based solely on ethnicity—a move to ramp up deportations nationwide. New Jersey, home to NJ’s 894,000 undocumented immigrants, faces heightened scrutiny as ICE targets sanctuary havens. The Maplewood arrests signal the feds mean business, exposing the risks of NJ’s lax policies that let illegals slip through the cracks.
Why NJ’s Sanctuary Status Threatens Safety
NJ’s Immigrant Trust Directive, enacted by Governor Murphy, claims to build trust but instead shields illegal immigrants, including criminals, from deportation. The DOJ’s lawsuits highlight how cities like Newark obstruct federal efforts to remove dangerous individuals. The Supreme Court’s ruling empowers ICE to act decisively.
Source: Adapted from New Jersey Monitor and Justice Department reports.
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Dems soft on crime policies do not work. Charlotte is prime example. They favor criminals.
NJ needs change.
Vote RED and Jack Ciattarelli.
Up yours Murphy!
Jersey democrats like Josh Gottheimer and Murphy are puppets to Nancy Pelosi and the democratic party.
They are trash politicians, lairs, and thieves. They do not have Jersey values and taxes havent lowered haha.
they are weak pathetic soft individuals.
They helped destroy this state and they don’t give a damn about the environment either. Nothing has improved in NJ since they’ve been around