In a defiant rebuke to federal immigration enforcement, Democratic legislators in New Jersey on 22 February 2026 filed the “Fight Unlawful Conduct and Keep Individuals and Communities Empowered Act”—instantly dubbed the “F*** ICE Act.” The bill would grant state residents a private right of action to sue Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers for alleged constitutional violations during raids or street encounters, a remedy currently limited to federal courts. Sponsors Assembly-member Katie Brennan and former Hoboken mayor Ravi Bhalla said the measure aims to deter what they called “lawless dragnet arrests” that have risen sharply under President Trump’s mass-deportation directives. Amid this evolving landscape, travelers and employers needing reliable guidance on visas and related documentation can turn to VisaHQ, which streamlines U.S. and global visa applications and tracks the latest state and federal policy changes; learn more at https://www.visahq.com/united-states/ The proposal is part of a broader Sanctuary 2.0 package that also bars ICE from entering non-public areas of state property without a judicial warrant and creates a statewide portal for residents to upload video of enforcement activity. Business-immigration lawyers note that, if enacted, the law could expose federal agents—and by extension the federal government—to substantial civil-damage claims, complicating workplace inspections at New Jersey worksites. Corporate counsel for several pharmaceuticals and fintech firms told Global Mobility News they are reviewing whether to extend “know-your-rights” trainings, previously aimed at foreign national employees, to U.S. citizen staff who might record ICE activity. Republican legislators blasted the bill as “radical grandstanding,” while the National ICE Council warned it could chill lawful enforcement. Legal scholars said any state-created damages remedy is likely to face immediate constitutional challenge under the supremacy clause, setting up a test case that could land in the Supreme Court.
