Federal authorities are investigating New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy (D) following remarks he made earlier this year suggesting he had offered to shelter someone with unresolved immigration status in his home, according to The New York Times.
Sources familiar with the matter told the outlet that U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey Alina Habba is overseeing the investigation.
The FBI has reportedly contacted at least four individuals connected to the matter, seeking information related to Murphy’s remarks.
One of the sources confirmed that the governor was served with a federal subpoena as part of the inquiry.
As of the latest reports, he has not been formally interviewed by federal authorities.
The Democratic governor made the comments during a public event earlier this year.
He recounted that he and his wife had discussed the possibility of allowing a woman, whose immigration case had not yet been resolved, to temporarily reside in a separate living area above their garage.
“Tammy and I were talking about … I don’t want to get into too much detail, but there’s someone in our broader universe whose immigration status is not yet at the point that they are trying to get it to,” Murphy said at the time, according to Breitbart News.
“And, we said, ‘You know what? Let’s have her live at our house above our garage,’ and good luck to the feds coming in to try to get her.”
A spokesperson later clarified to the Associated Press that the situation described was hypothetical and no such individual has lived at the Murphy residence.
Murphy has been a vocal advocate for progressive immigration policies throughout his time in office.
In 2019, he signed legislation allowing illegal immgrants in New Jersey to obtain driver’s licenses and learner’s permits regardless of their immigration status, a law that drew national attention and criticism from conservative leaders, according to Fox News.
He also supported a measure to let illegal immigrants apply for professional and occupational licenses in fields such as accounting, nursing and cosmetology.
During his 2017 gubernatorial campaign, Phil Murphy publicly declared that New Jersey should adopt policies to become a “sanctuary state.”
Once in office, he worked with then-Attorney General Gurbir Grewal to implement directives limiting cooperation between local law enforcement and federal immigration authorities.
However, amid growing public scrutiny, Murphy has recently signaled a more cautious tone on the issue, leading some observers to suggest he is backtracking.
The current investigation into Murphy’s remarks adds a new layer of legal and political pressure.
Habba, appointed during Trump’s second term, has said she is also looking into broader concerns about New Jersey’s immigration enforcement policies.
Neither the Department of Justice nor Habba’s office has made a public statement regarding the subpoena or the direction of the investigation.
The woman mentioned by Murphy has not been identified, and officials have not released further details about her immigration status.
No charges have been filed, and the governor has not publicly addressed the situation since making the original comments.
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