Here is The Jersey Bee’s top news for New Jersey for the week ending Aug. 14, 2026.
TOP NEWS
New Jersey issued legal orders to investigate conditions at Delaney Hall, a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement concentration camp in Newark. The legal orders, or investigative subpoenas, come less than one week after Edwin Jovanny Lopez Cornejo died inside the facility. His mother said in an interview that he was not receiving proper medical care. Cornejo’s death marks the second detainee death inside Delaney Hall. The investigation will examine whether Geo Group, the prison company, employees are violating people’s civil rights. If violations are found, the state’s Attorney General’s Office will initiate a legal process that will require Geo Group to comply with N.J. law. People can submit relevant information to state officials by contacting the Affirmative Enforcement Unit.
New Jersey Monitor
U.S. District Court Judge Zahid Quraishi dismissed a lawsuit from the U.S. Department of Justice that demanded N.J. to give private voter data to the federal government. The lawsuit was dismissed because N.J.’s digital voter registration system does not apply to the federal law that mandates access to some records upon request. The ruling comes a week after Gov. Mikie Sherrill announced a software glitch at the state’s Motor Vehicle Commission that registered about 6,600 undocumented people to vote between 2023 and 2024. The federal government attempted to use this recently discovered error to bolster its case.
Gothamist
Gov. Mikie Sherrill signed the John R. Lewis Voter Empowerment Act into law, which enacts statewide voting rights protections. The law is meant to ban voter suppression and intimidation, improve language access materials, and ensure all ballots are cast and counted equitably. It also requires state approval for election changes, public involvement for redistricting, and allows people to report violations before suing. New Jersey is the first state to pass its own voting rights law since the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in Louisiana v. Callais weakened minority voting protections.
Governor Mikie Sherrill
New Jersey Citizen Action’s monthly advocacy call is scheduled virtually for Aug. 18. It begins at 6:30 p.m. and will discuss state and federal advocacy work around budgets, healthcare, childcare, and more. People can ask questions and share feedback. Registration is required. Add to 📅.
New Jersey Citizen Action
Statewide career resource fair planned with the N.J. Civil Service Commission on Aug. 19 in West Windsor. It is from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Mercer County Community College’s West Windsor campus. There will be live candidate screenings, typing certification assessments, recruitment tables, and information sessions with hiring professionals. Registration is required. Add to 📅.
New Jersey Civil Service Commission
New Jersey Bike and Walk Coalition is hiring a full-time advocacy and policy director. Responsibilities include developing strategy and directing the organization’s programs and policy initiatives. To apply, email cover letter and resume to kagan@njbwc.org.
New Jersey Bike and Walk Coalition
