New Jersey lawmakers have introduced a controversial bill that is drawing widespread attention for its acronym that spells out a vulgar anti-ICE message, while simultaneously building on state policies that have already resulted in litigation for violating the Supremacy Clause of the U.S. Constitution.
Assembly Bill A4446, introduced Feb. 24, 2026, by two freshman lawmakers, is a jurisdictional quagmire that attempts to codify into state law a private right of action arising from the enforcement of federal law—positioning the state as a belligerent opponent of federal preemption.
In addition to attempting a rehash of long-settled legal questions – not tested since the Jim Crow south exerted state rights to enforce segregation – the bill title itself makes the hostility towards federal authority clear.
The “Fight Unlawful Conduct and Keep Individuals and Communities Empowered Act,” commonly known as the F**K ICE Act, was introduced by its two sole sponsors—freshmen Assembly members Katie Brennan and Ravi Bhalla.
Both members are Hudson County Democrats who took office in January after the National Education Association helped stage stunning upsets last November—ousting incumbent lawmakers.
Cannot believe a sitting representative of NJ Democrat Katie Brennan put out a bill that says FUCK ICE along with others to basically go against ICE, cause them not to have public jobs after and basically protect illegals by any means necessary
While you're claiming to make NJ… https://t.co/2HrGJRUN4d pic.twitter.com/mPIMznxI1T
— Wake Up NJ 🇺🇸 New Jersey (@wakeupnj) March 2, 2026
The NJEA, the state affiliate of the National Education Association, backed them alongside gubernatorial candidate Mikie Sherrill and dozens of other legislative hopefuls based on their stances on public education, immigration, and labor issues.
"As Republicans in Washington wage a dangerous assault on clean energy, our mission to elect bold climate champions at all levels of government is more vital than ever," said Jane Fonda, Founder of the Jane Fonda Climate PAC.
"Katie Brennan and Ravi Bhalla are exactly the kind… pic.twitter.com/ssF38I9TqD
— Ravinder S. Bhalla (@RaviBhalla) May 30, 2025
Both lawmakers have faced heated opposition since introducing the bill, with Bhalla recently getting ratioed in the comment section of his X announcement of the bill.
ICE is NOT welcome here in New Jersey. That's why we've introduced a package of bills to make it harder for federal immigration enforcement to operate in our state.
No more profiting from detention centers, no more obstructing access to crime scenes involving ICE, and no more… pic.twitter.com/VrVTM3t6xt
— Ravinder S. Bhalla (@RaviBhalla) February 17, 2026
During a marathon 10-hour voting session held last week, state Assemblyman Paul Kanitra R-Ocean County, emphasized the hypocrisy of legislative proposals from the state’s Democratic party:
“You want boundaries that legally can’t be crossed to protect criminal aliens who couldn’t respect our legal borders themselves,” Kanitra said.
Attorney General Pam Bondi, who announced a lawsuit last week against the Garden State, said that states do not have the legal authority to deliberately interfere.
“Federal agents are risking their lives to keep New Jersey citizens safe, and yet New Jersey’s leaders are enacting policies designed to obstruct and endanger law enforcement,” Bondi said. “States may not deliberately interfere with our efforts to remove illegal aliens and arrest criminals — New Jersey’s sanctuary policies will not stand.”
The proposed bill aligns with broader Democratic efforts nationwide to bolster protections for illegal immigrants by challenging federal authority to enforce immigration laws. The bill currently remains in the Assembly Oversight Reform and Federal Relations Committee with no further action as of March 2, 2026. While a companion measure, SB S3711, has been filed in the upper chamber by Hudson County’s Democratic Sen. Raj Mukherji, it currently does not have co-sponsors.
If passed, the bill would take immediate effect, likely resulting in costly litigation for the state’s taxpayers.
