AMIDST THE DISTRACTION OF TARIFFS CHAOS, TRUMP ADMINISTRATION LAUNCHES MULTI-PRONGED ATTACK ON IMMIGRANTS, POSSIBLY INCLUDING CITIZENS

The urgency for the Immigrant Trust Act and immigrant legal services grows as more New Jerseyans become vulnerable to deportation.

NEWARK [4.9.2025] — While news about tariffs and their impact on our economy has dominated headlines, a number of anti-immigrant policies and court rulings have cascaded in the last week, affecting millions of New Jerseyans. Earlier today, Karoline Leavitt confirmed  the Trump Administration is taking steps to identify pathways it can claim to be legal for deporting U.S. Citizens to El Salvador. From new executive orders, to court rulings that undermine federal protections, New Jersey Alliance for Immigrant Justice urges Trenton to be proactive in passing and investing in additional protections for immigrants.

On Monday evening, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) signed an agreement with the Department of Homeland Security to arrange for data-sharing that will allow for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to submit the names and addresses of undocumented immigrants to cross-verify against tax records. This dangerous move opens the door for ICE to use tax information to identify, target, and deport individuals—many of whom have complied with tax laws and contributed to their communities.

The same evening, the Supreme Court ruled to allow the Trump administration to invoke the Alien Enemies Act and thus continue the deportations of suspected members of the Venezuelan gang, Tren de Aragua (TdA), only under the caveat that individuals facing deportation under the Alien Enemies Act be notified of their deportation and given the opportunity to challenge it in court. This new ruling gives the Trump administration a great amount of discretion over the removal process of the accused immigrants. The ACLU has now filed another lawsuit pursuant to the Supreme Court recommendation.

It was also revealed that the Department of Homeland Security has requested proposals from contractors for new facilities, security, medical support, and other services valued at $45 billion over the next couple of years. Despite ICE lacking the current budget to execute these plans, the Budget Reconciliation process is likely to result in a massive increase in the agency’s funding, further facilitating mass detention across the country. 

On Tuesday morning, the Trump administration revoked the legal status of hundreds of thousands of asylum seekers that had utilized the CBP One App under the Biden Administration. The app was designed for asylum seekers and other migrants entering the country at designated points of entry to secure appointments as part of the legal asylum seeking process. As a result of this revocation, these individuals have been ordered to self-deport or face forced deportation or arrest. 

Over the last week and this weekend, the federal administration has also begun to revoke hundreds of student visas at colleges across the nation, including Rutgers, without warning or explanation, leaving hundreds forced to self-deport within 30 days.

Following these actions, it is clear that this harmful agenda far transcends immigration status. At the state level in New Jersey, immigrant communities have yet to be protected against the threats posed by the federal administration. While the City of Newark spearheads the fight to block Delaney Hall from reopening as an immigration detention center, Union County has been developing plans behind closed doors to auction their jail, a move that many worry will lead to additional private immigration detention capacity. 

Past efforts to limit ICE’s reach are also coming under attack and remain open to vulnerability. Oral arguments in the CoreCivic v. Murphy case—which overturned the state’s ban on private immigration detention facilities—is scheduled for May 1 in the Third Circuit Court of Appeals. The New Jersey Legislature has also refused to hold hearings on the  Immigrant Trust Act (A4987/S3672) which would codify and expand some of the protections the state enacted in 2018 under the NJ Office of Attorney General’s Immigrant Trust Directive. Speaker Coughlin and Senate President Scutari have not provided an explanation for the delay or the bill's inability to move forward despite continued erosion of federal protections.

Throughout April and May, NJAIJ and its coalition partners will be convening press briefings, public education sessions, and trainings to involve the public in the campaign to pass additional protections and services for immigrants. NJAIJ invites members and supporters to join our Mass Movement Call on April 14th where we will cover detention updates and actions through this Spring. Supporters can also sign up to Pack The Court as we head to Philadelphia for the appeal in the CoreCivic v Murphy case.