New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy, a Democrat, defended the law that limits cooperation between local authorities in that state with immigration agencies, after the Trump administration sued four municipalities, their mayors and other officials on Friday for not cooperating with immigration agents.

However, now that the With Governor Phil Murphy set to leave office in eight months, the future of his administration's efforts to prevent local police from cooperating with civil immigration enforcement is in doubt.

The Justice Department filed lawsuits Friday against the New Jersey cities of Newark, Paterson, Hoboken, and Jersey City and their officials, alleging they obstructed federal immigration agents as part of the Trump administration's policy of rapid expulsions.

Specifically, the lawsuit alleges that they were denied access to undocumented immigrants in local custody; restricted local officials' ability to turn immigrants over to federal agents; and prohibited willing local officials from providing critical information to immigration enforcement.

Among the Democratic mayors charged is Ras Baraka of Newark, who was recently arrested and charged for trying to enter an immigration detention center in New Jersey with a group of members of Congress. The charge was dismissed in federal court. While attorney Lauren Herman, legal director of Make the Road New Jersey, which provides services to immigrants, noted that the U.S. Constitution establishes “a clear separation of powers between the federal and local governments.” “Fair and welcoming policies do not hinder the federal government’s work; instead, they allow localities in New Jersey to do their work and protect us from appropriation," especially by agencies that violate the Constitution and threaten our communities,” he said.

*With information from EFE.