New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill (D) said she will create an online portal to report ICE encounters in the state. During an appearance on Comedy Central, Sherrill said, “We are also going to be standing up a portal so people can upload all their cellphone videos and alert people. If you see an ICE agent in the street, get your phone out, we want to know.”
“They have not been forthcoming. They will pick people up, they will not tell us who they are, they will not tell us if they’re here legally, they won’t check. They’ll pick up American citizens,” she stated. “They picked up a 5-year-old child. We want documentation, and we are going to make sure we get there.”
California similarly launched a portal allowing state residents to upload information about reported “misconduct” carried out by federal agents in December. The online portal, announced by Governor Gavin Newsom (D) and Attorney General Rob Bonta aims to “assist members of the public in sharing information with the California Department of Justice regarding potentially unlawful activity by federal agents and officers across the state,” the governor’s press office wrote in a social media statement. “Federal agents have broad authority to enforce federal laws, including federal immigration laws, but they must do so lawfully.”
New York also unveiled a reporting portal in October. “Every New Yorker has the right to live without fear or intimidation,” New York Attorney General Letitia James said at the time. “If you witnessed and documented ICE activity yesterday, I urge you to share that footage with my office. We are committed to reviewing these reports and assessing any violations of law. No one should be subject to unlawful questioning, detention, or intimidation.”
