Hoboken, NJ Immigration Policy: Sanctuary Policy Preemption (2026)

Chapter 59B, the Hoboken Trust Act, was adopted by the Mayor and Council on October 8, 2025 by Ordinance No. B-816. Section 59B-3 states that Hoboken and its agents shall not expend any time, funds, or resources on facilitating the civil enforcement of federal immigration law nor participating in civil immigration enforcement operations, except where legally required by state or federal law, regulation or directive. Specifically, Subsection 59B-3C bars City employees and law enforcement agents from honoring immigration detainer requests or ICE, CBP or USCIS administrative warrants, or holding any person on the basis of such a request or warrant, unless the request or warrant is a valid, properly issued judicial criminal warrant.

Subsection 59B-3D directs that any ICE, CBP or USCIS request for cooperation in an enforcement operation be referred to the Chief of Police or an appropriate agency chief, who must deny it, and Subsection 59B-3E blocks federal immigration officers from accessing municipal facilities, property, equipment or databases without a valid judicial criminal warrant naming the specific information or individuals sought. Section 59B-4A separately prohibits any municipal agent, employee or agency from asking any individual, or requesting information from any individual, about citizenship or immigration status unless required by state or federal law, regulation or directive.

Section 59B-5 bars bias-based profiling on immigration or citizenship status in stops, questioning, searches, arrests or detentions, and § 59B-8 requires Hoboken to publish quarterly reports on ICE/CBP/USCIS requests and Hoboken's responses to them on its public website.