U.S. Atty. Habba investigating New Jersey governor over immigration enforcement policy

TRENTON, N.J. — The top federal prosecutor in New Jersey says she has launched an investigation into Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy and state Atty. Gen. Matt Platkin over the state’s directive to local law enforcement not to cooperate with federal agents conducting immigration enforcement.

Alina Habba, appointed last month by President Trump as the interim U.S. attorney for the state, announced the investigation on Thursday evening on Fox News.

“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,” she said.

Both Murphy’s office and Platkin’s office declined to comment.

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.

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 advisor 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.

Catalini writes for the Associated Press.