New Jersey Weekly: Apr. 10, 2026

TOP NEWS

In-person early voting for the 2026 11th congressional district special general election is from Apr. 6-14. The district includes parts of Morris, Essex, and Passaic counties. Early voting locations are open Monday to Saturday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sunday until 6 p.m. A list of locations is available online. The special general election is Apr. 16.Add to 📅.
New Jersey Division of Elections

Nurses, physicians, and other healthcare professionals can attend a webinar discussing ways to support lactation for patients with substance use disorders on Apr. 15. It is from 12-1 p.m. and is led by Partnership for Maternal and Child Health of Northern NJ. Attendees will learn about tools rooted in harm reduction and trauma-informed care to use when counseling patients. Registration is required. Free admission.Add to 📅.
Partnership for Maternal and Child Health of Northern NJ

First- and second-generation immigrant youth ages 18-22 can apply to NJ Consortium for Immigrant Children’s immigrant youth advocate program. Participants will spend two years attending workshops on political processes, policy frameworks, and media advocacy, and learn how to address inequities in education and health. The deadline to apply is Apr. 24. Applications are available online.Add to 📅.
New Jersey Consortium for Immigrant Children

New Jersey and Roxbury township filed a lawsuit against the federal government to stop its plans to convert a Roxbury warehouse into an immigrant detention center. The complaint says the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and Immigration and Customs Enforcement violated four federal laws by failing to conduct environmental reviews, solicit feedback from town officials, select a facility with adequate water and sewer systems, and assess the site’s habitability. The 470,000-square-foot warehouse at 1879 Route 46 was purchased on Feb. 28, marking the third detention facility for migrants in N.J. The other two are privately-owned jails in Elizabeth and Newark. The warehouse’s current owner, Dalfen Industrial, made the sale despite township and community opposition. The facility can open as early as June, according to the complaint.
New Jersey Monitor

Advocacy groups are urging state lawmakers to further develop three immigrant protection laws recently signed by Gov. Mikie Sherrill. The laws increase protections for the state’s 2.25 million immigrant population. Then-Gov. Phil Murphy decided to not sign, or pocket-vetoed, the bills before leaving office on Jan. 20. The Privacy Protection Act protects personal data shared with schools, hospitals and libraries; and the Strengthening Trust Act codifies a 2018 directive that limits state law enforcement cooperation with ICE. Sherrill also signed a law requiring ICE agents to remove their face masks prior to arresting or detaining someone. American Civil Liberties Union of NJ, NJ Alliance for Immigrant Justice, and Council on American-Islamic Relations-NJ are calling on lawmakers to expand protections amid due process violations, such as unlawful detention. ACLU-NJ released a statement demanding the state Legislature increases funding for access to counsel in immigration proceedings. Advocates renewed their push for immigrant protections after President Donald Trump signed executive orders on Jan. 20, 2025 to ramp up deportations. The Jersey Bee has immigration resources at jerseybee.org/community/immigrants. Resources are available in English and Spanish.
ACLU of New Jersey

Advanced practice nurses can prescribe medication and deliver health care to patients without physician oversight under a new state law signed by Gov. Mikie Sherrill. The law indefinitely extends a provision made by former Gov. Phil Murphy in 2020 to expand primary and behavioral health care access throughout the state by removing administrative barriers. APNs must have at least 5,000 hours of clinical practice. New Jersey joins 27 states with similar laws.
NJ Spotlight News