New Jerseyans protest ICE. (Charly Triballeau/Getty Images)
Bhalla said that when he was mayor of neighboring Hoboken, his first move was to enact a sanctuary city ordinance. The city is famously home to Frank Sinatra and sits across the Hudson River from Midtown Manhattan.
"ICE has no place in our communities," he said in a statement. "Now, the stakes are even higher, and it is incumbent on all of us to use the power we have to keep our residents safe."
Brennan cited Ephros’ run-in with ICE in comments to People, adding that she cannot "sit back and do nothing while they violate people’s constitutional rights."
"These bills strengthen local protections and make sure these agents of chaos face accountability. We have to use the full force of our state government to protect the people of New Jersey."
Brennan told NJ Advance Media that while critics have voiced concern about her acting "unbecoming" and "unladylike," she said it was fellow Hoboken Democrat state Sen. Raj Mukherji who came up with the acronym.
HOCHUL ENDORSES LEGISLATION TO ALLOW NEW YORKERS TO SUE ICE AGENTS: 'POWER DOES NOT JUSTIFY ABUSE'
New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill. (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
Mukherji has said ICE has sown "seeds of chaos" nationwide.
Not all lawmakers were on board, including some from the state’s more conservative, rural northwest.
"So, they’re doing acronyms now," said Assemb. Michael Inganamort, R-Chester.
"This sort of radicalism is the inevitable result of an unchecked, 25-year Democratic Majority. It’s what our Republican Minority stands against and why elections matter," Inganamort said in a statement on X.
Assemb. Dawn Fantasia, R-Sussex, said the bill’s title is "wild" but the premise is "wilder."
"[I] don’t have the text yet, but if it means what it sounds like, that’s illegal entry followed by a state-created pathway to sue over enforcement," she said.
"If I was a bettin’ woman, I’d guess NJ taxpayers will be footing the legal bill."
"Katie and Ravi need their mouths washed out with soap," quipped conservative commentator Matt Rooney of "Save Jersey."
Assemb. Paul Kanitra, R-Point Pleasant Beach, suggested the state should deal with the F---ICE Act the same way it deals with people who submit applications for off-color tags.
"Much like the state DMV has to turn down and in some cases even repossess license plates that are deemed vulgar, this should suffer the same fate," Kanitra said.
New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill could not immediately be reached for comment.
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In one of her first acts in Trenton, Sherrill signed Executive Order 12, which restricts ICE activities on state property and creates a portal for residents to report immigration enforcement in their areas.
"I take seriously my responsibility to keep New Jersey residents safe and, as a Navy veteran and former federal prosecutor, my commitment to upholding the Constitution will never waver. This executive order will prohibit ICE from using state property to launch operations," Sherrill said in a statement at the time.
Charles Creitz is a reporter for Fox News Digital.
He joined Fox News in 2013 as a writer and production assistant.
Charles covers media, politics and culture for Fox News Digital.
Charles is a Pennsylvania native and graduated from Temple University with a B.A. in Broadcast Journalism. Story tips can be sent to charles.creitz@fox.com.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/nj-democrats-push-f-ice-act-let-residents-sue-over-immigration-enforcement