Alina Habba Opens Federal Investigation into NJ Dem Governor’s ICE Defiance [WATCH]

The acting U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey, Alina Habba, announced Thursday night that her office has launched a formal investigation into New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy and Attorney General Matthew Platkin over their directives instructing state and local law enforcement not to cooperate with federal immigration authorities on specific warrants.

Habba made the announcement during an appearance on the Fox News Channel’s “Hannity,” stating that the policy outlined on Governor Murphy’s official website directs law enforcement to avoid cooperation with federal agencies on administrative immigration warrants.

“The Governor has on his website, currently, dos and don’ts for his local state law enforcement,” Habba said.

“Those dos and don’ts instruct them not to cooperate with illegal immigrants who have administrative warrants that have been issued by the court, after due process, saying that they are no longer welcome here. They have gone through the court system. They are to be deported. It is instructing them to go against our federal rules, our executive orders.”

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According to Habba, these instructions directly contradict federal law and executive orders related to immigration enforcement.

Administrative warrants issued by federal authorities—typically from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)—are used to detain individuals who have been deemed removable from the United States following legal proceedings.

The refusal to cooperate with such warrants, Habba argued, undermines the federal government’s ability to enforce immigration law.

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She emphasized that the investigation is intended to send a broader message.

“I want it to be a warning for everybody,” Habba said.

“That I have instructed my office today to open an investigation into Gov. Murphy, to open an investigation into Attorney General Platkin, who has also instructed the state police not to assist any of our federal — and they list our federal agencies that are under my direction, the FBI, the DEA, all of these individuals that are trying to clean up our streets in New Jersey — not to cooperate. That will no longer stand.”

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— Alina Habba (@AlinaHabba) April 11, 2025

The investigation comes amid ongoing tensions between federal immigration authorities and certain state and local governments that have adopted policies limiting cooperation with ICE.

These so-called “sanctuary” policies are often justified by their proponents as protecting immigrant communities, but federal officials have repeatedly criticized them as obstacles to lawful enforcement.

Habba’s remarks on Thursday indicate that the New Jersey U.S. Attorney’s Office is now taking a more aggressive stance in challenging those policies.

The investigation is expected to examine whether any state-level directives or actions have obstructed federal law enforcement efforts.

Governor Murphy and Attorney General Platkin have not yet issued public responses to the announcement.

The policy in question, outlined on the state’s official website, includes a list of guidance points for law enforcement officers.

According to Habba, these guidelines tell local police not to respond to administrative warrants from ICE and not to share information with federal agencies about individuals subject to deportation orders.

As of Thursday night, the scope and timeline of the investigation remain unclear.

However, Habba made it clear that the federal government will no longer allow state-level resistance to interfere with immigration enforcement operations.

The announcement marks a significant development in the ongoing debate between state and federal authority when it comes to immigration enforcement and cooperation with federal agencies such as ICE, the FBI, and the DEA.

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