Masked ICE agents defy Gov. Sherrill ban during arrest in Jackson

• Rubiel Gabriel Nolasco was arrested on April 1 at an undisclosed township location by masked ICE agents who ignored a new state law against using masks during such arrests.
• The mask ban was part of a package of bills signed by the governor last month that sought to strengthen oversight of law enforcement and improve relations with the public.
• ICE officials objected to the new restriction, stating at the time, “ICE officers wear face coverings for one reason: to protect themselves and their families from real-world threats."
• In the Jackson case, Nolasco had been arrested twice by border patrol officers in 2021 and was returned to Mexico on both occasions. He also faces domestic violence charges in Toms River.

JACKSON – ICE agents openly ignored New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill’s ban on masks when they arrested an undocumented Mexican immigrant in the township last week who had been deported twice and faced domestic violence charges in 2024, officials said.

Rubiel Gabriel Nolasco, whose age was not given, was arrested on April 1 at an undisclosed township location, according to Christine Cuttita, a public affairs officer with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Newark.

Township officials said agents were masked at the time, a clear violation of the new ban signed by Sherrill on March 25.

“Sanctuary politicians attempting to ban our federal law enforcement from wearing masks is despicable and a flagrant attempt to endanger our officers,” ICE officials said in a statement via email. “To be crystal clear: we will not abide by this unconstitutional ban. The Supremacy Clause makes it clear that New Jersey’s sanctuary politicians do not control federal law enforcement.”

Sherrill’s office responded with a reminder that the law is the law and threatened legal action if ICE agents continue to ignore the ban.

"Governor Sherrill is prepared to take any necessary measures if ICE continues to violate the law," Sherrill Spokesman Sean Higgins said via email. "Including taking the Trump Administration back to court.”

The mask ban was part of a package of bills signed by the governor last month that sought to strengthen oversight of law enforcement and improve relations with the public, officials said.

At the time, Sherrill stated, “as we’ve seen across the country, Donald Trump’s untrained, unaccountable, masked ICE agents are putting people in danger. That’s why in New Jersey, we are protecting our communities – strengthening our protections, banning ICE agents from wearing masks, and protecting residents’ privacy from federal overreach.”

But ICE officials immediately objected to the new restriction, stating at the time, “ICE officers wear face coverings for one reason: to protect themselves and their families from real-world threats including agitators. The danger is not hypothetical. Public databases and online lists’ have been created to expose officers’ identities.”

In the Jackson case, Nolasco had been arrested twice by border patrol officers in 2021 and was returned to Mexico on both occasions, Cuttita said via email.

But he re-entered the country and faced arrest in Toms River on July 29, 2024, for domestic violence, for which he pled guilty to simple assault, officials said.

Nolasco also has pending charges for driving with a suspended license or registration and remains in custody pending removal proceedings.

The ICE operation was first disclosed and confirmed on April 1 by Jackson Mayor Jennifer Kuhn and Police Chief Mary Nelson.

But neither Nelson nor Kuhn had any specific details on the law enforcement activity, although Nelson described it via text as a “legitimate federal government operation.”

Nelson added that her department was not informed beforehand and did not assist in the actions.

“We do not participate in any federal immigration enforcement,” Nelson said. “Our municipal police department follows the N.J. attorney general's immigrant trust directive.”

That directive states, among other things, that “New Jersey’s police officers cannot stop, question, arrest, search, or detain any individual based solely on actual or suspected immigration status,” as well as declaring police “cannot participate in ICE’s civil immigration enforcement operations” or “provide ICE with access to state or local law enforcement resources, including equipment, office space, databases, or property.”

Kuhn advised residents of the ICE activities in an Instagram video on April 1, in which she stated, “I've been receiving calls and texts, videos and pictures this morning since seven o'clock in the morning, asking if ICE was in Jackson Township today. I couldn't confirm this morning, but I can confirm now that Yes, Jackson residents, I did want to let you know that ICE, if you did see officers with masks in your neighborhood, I can confirm that that was ICE in Jackson Township.”

Kuhn did not respond to a request seeking her view on the masks and declined to comment further on the ICE activities.

Joe Strupp is an award-winning journalist with 35 years’ experience who covers Lakewood, Jackson, and several local communities for APP.com and the Asbury Park Press. He is also the author of four books, including Killing Journalism on the state of the news media, and an adjunct media professor at Rutgers University and Fairleigh Dickinson University. Reach him at [email protected] and at 732-413-3840. Follow him on Twitter and TruthSocial at @joestrupp