U.S. Attorney investigating New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy over immigration policy
New Jersey's Acting U.S. Attorney Alina Habba says she's instructed her office to look into Gov. Phil Murphy and Attorney General Matthew Platkin.
Her comments stem from a memo sent out by the head of New Jersey's State Police telling troopers the Immigrant Trust Directive prevents them from arresting anyone based on immigration status and sharing that information with United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
"I want it to be a warning for everybody"
Habba made the announcement Thursday night on Fox News, saying Murphy and Platkin have refrained from assisting federal immigration enforcement in New Jersey.
"I want it to be a warning for everybody that I have instructed my office today to open an investigation into Governor Murphy, to open an investigation into Attorney General Platkin," Habba said.
She says the directive goes against President Trump's new rules cracking down on violent criminals.
"Anybody who gets in that way, in the way of what we are doing – which is not political, it is simply against crime – will be charged in the state of New Jersey for obstruction, for concealment, and I will come after them hard," she said.
CBS News New York reached out to Habba's office but has not heard back.
Habba took over the interim post from John Giordano, whom the president named to be the U.S. ambassador for the southwestern African country of Namibia.
A partner in a small New Jersey law firm near Trump's Bedminster golf course, Habba served as a senior adviser for Trump's political action committee, defended him in court in several civil lawsuits and acted as a spokesperson last year as he volleyed between courtrooms and the campaign trail.
"I'm focused on doing my job"
Platkin defended the policy Friday, saying it has already been upheld in court.
"I am not getting into her allegations made on a cable news show," he said. "Look, I'm focused on doing my job, which is to keep the residents of our state safe."
Platkin added, "I know the interim U.S. Attorney. She hasn't been there that long. She said publicly she wants to politicize the office. I hope she starts doing her job."
Earlier this year, Murphy sparked more Republican outrage after suggesting he and his wife had offered a person with an uncertain immigration shelter at their home, then walking back on those comments.
His office, though, is not commenting on Habba's warning, leaving that job to his attorney general.
Murphy's administration has been largely supportive of immigration. Under his tenure, Platkin's predecessor issued a guideline limiting cooperation between local New Jersey police and immigration officials. A bill that would make the directive state law is pending in the Legislature, but hasn't advanced.
The policy and the pending bill have gotten renewed attention since Trump's second administration began and immigration officials arrested people in Newark soon after the inauguration. The arrests led immigrant rights advocates to call out "Where's Governor Murphy?" during a news conference held by Newark's mayor to deride the immigration enforcement.
