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TRENTON, N.J. — <\/span>The Trump administration is suing New Jersey<\/a> over a state order that prohibits federal immigration agents from making arrests in nonpublic areas of state property, such as correctional facilities and courthouses.<\/p>\n The Justice Department lawsuit, filed Monday in federal court in Trenton, challenges Gov. Mikie Sherrill<\/a> \u2019s Feb. 11 executive order<\/a>, which also bars the use of state property as a staging or processing area for immigration enforcement.<\/p>\n Sherrill, a Democrat who took office<\/a> Jan. 20, \u201cinsists on harboring criminal offenders from federal law enforcement,\u201d the lawsuit said, accusing her of attempting to obstruct federal law enforcement and thwart President Donald Trump\u2019s immigration crackdown. <\/p>\n Sherrill\u2019s executive order \u201cposes an intolerable obstacle\u201d to immigration enforcement and \u201cdirectly regulates and discriminates\u201d against the federal government, said the lawsuit, which misspelled her name as \u201cSherill.\u201d<\/p>\n Asked about the lawsuit Tuesday<\/a>, Sherrill said: \u201cWhat I think the federal government needs to be focused on right now, instead of attacking states like New Jersey working to keep people safe, is actually training their ICE agents.”<\/p>\n The state\u2019s acting attorney general, Jennifer Davenport, said the Trump administration was \u201cwasting its resources on a pointless legal challenge.\u201d New Jersey will fight the lawsuit and \u201ccontinue to ensure the safety of our state\u2019s immigrant communities,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n The lawsuit is the latest in the Trump administration\u2019s fight against state and local level restrictions on immigration enforcement. <\/p>\n Last year, the Justice Department sued Minnesota and Colorado, as well as cities including New York, Chicago, Los Angeles and Denver over so-called sanctuary laws, which are aimed at prohibiting police from cooperating with immigration agents.<\/p>\n Last May, the Trump administration sued four New Jersey cities<\/a> \u2014 Newark, Jersey City, Paterson and Hoboken \u2014 over such policies. That case is pending.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n