CAIR Action New Jersey strongly condemned outgoing Governor Phil Murphy for pocket vetoing two critical bills in the Immigrant Protections Package while welcoming the opportunity for newly inaugurated Governor Mikie Sherrill to restore and advance the full set of protections immigrant communities fought to pass.
While Governor Murphy signed the Safe Communities Act (A6308/S5036), he simultaneously pocket vetoed the Immigrant Trust Directive (A6310/S5038) and the Privacy Protection Act (A6309/S5037)—undermining the very trust framework the Legislature overwhelmingly approved.
“Trust cannot be selective,” said Ali Aljarrah, Senior Advisor at CAIR Action New Jersey. “Governor Murphy’s decision to pocket veto the Immigrant Trust Directive and Privacy Protection Act strips immigrant communities of the most meaningful safeguards in this package. Signing one bill while blocking the others is not leadership – it is a deliberate choice to leave families exposed.”
Together, the Immigrant Protections Package was designed to function as a comprehensive system: preventing unnecessary entanglement with federal immigration enforcement, limiting harmful data-sharing, and ensuring immigrant communities can safely access schools, healthcare, and local services. By vetoing the privacy and trust provisions, the Murphy administration fractured that system.
“Governor Murphy had the opportunity to leave office having fully protected immigrant families – and he chose not to,” said Omayma Mansour, Senior Advisor at CAIR Action New Jersey. “The pocket vetoes send a dangerous message that immigrant privacy is negotiable, even after years of documented harm caused by surveillance and data misuse.”
The consequences of this failure are not abstract. The case of Leqaa Kordia, a Paterson resident, exposed how unchecked information-sharing and government overreach can upend lives and separate families. Her experience helped drive the demand for the very protections Murphy blocked.
“Leqaa’s case showed exactly why partial reforms are not enough,” Mansour added. “Without enforceable privacy and trust protections, the same harms will continue – no matter how many speeches are given about immigrant inclusion.”
As Governor Mikie Sherrill is sworn into office today, CAIR Action NJ calls on her administration to immediately advance the remaining components of the Immigrant Protections Package and correct the damage left behind by the Murphy administration.
“This moment marks a clear break,” Aljarrah said. “Governor Sherrill has the chance – and the responsibility – to finish what the Legislature started and deliver real, comprehensive protections immigrant communities were promised.”
CAIR Action NJ will continue organizing, advocating, and holding state leadership accountable until every immigrant in New Jersey can live with safety, dignity, and freedom – without fear that their personal information will be weaponized against them.
CAIR Action NJ is an affiliate of CAIR Action, a 501(c)(4) organization. Our mission is to engage, educate, and mobilize Muslim voters, train emerging leaders, and champion policy priorities that enhance the well-being and representation of Muslim communities.