As protests continue following the shooting death of a woman by an immigration officer in Minnesota, New Jersey lawmakers advanced a trio of bills this week aimed at restricting the state’s cooperation with federal immigration enforcement officials.

The bills, which passed the state Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday, would limit law enforcement officials in New Jersey from cooperating with Immigration and Customs Enforcement on civil matters.

The legislation also calls for restrictions on New Jersey state agencies sharing people’s immigration status with ICE and the establishment of safe zones for immigrants in places such as hospitals, schools and churches.

The nearly nine-hour hearing drew hundreds of people to the packed chamber. Some of the speakers referred to the shooting by the ICE agent in Minnesota in urging lawmakers to pass the bills.

“Now they’re killing Americans on the street,” said state Sen. Raj Mukherji, D-Hudson, one of the sponsors of the bills.

The three bills advanced out of the committee in votes along partisan lines, with Democrats supporting the measures and Republicans either opposing or abstaining.

The bills still must be approved by the full state Senate and Assembly and go to the governor to be signed before they become law.

The debate over the bills came as the ICE shooting in Minnesota put a national spotlight on the agency’s growing presence in communities around the nation. Gov. Phil Murphy, a Democrat, called the shooting “horrifying, deplorable, despicable” on Thursday.

Officials in President Donald Trump’s administration officials said the woman who was shot, Renee Good, was a domestic terrorist who attempted to ram federal agents with her car.

“I don’t care what the circumstances, none of what I’ve seen remotely merited this woman losing her life,” Murphy said.

The three bills limiting cooperation with ICE in New Jersey were proposed before the shooting in Minnesota. But the debate in Trenton on Thursday referred to the incident.

“The behavior of ICE has been atrocious,” said Sen. Britnee Timberlake, D-Essex, another Senate sponsor of the bill.

Sponsors of the bills weren’t on the committee voting on the measures but still gave testimony in support alongside others gathered in the room.

Republicans in the state Legislature have argued the ICE bills violate the U.S. Constitution’s Supremacy Clause, which gives federal law precedence over state law. They say the legislation could be challenged in court if the bills become law.

During the hearing Thursday, Democratic sponsors of the bills countered the argument by citing the anti-commandeering doctrine in the U.S. Constitution’s 10th Amendment, which bars the federal government from forcing states to enforce federal laws.

State Sen. Jon Bramnick, R-Union, who abstained from the vote on the bills, said he agreed with some of the bills’ intent. But he argued the legislation lacked language making it clear that local law enforcement officers could still work with immigration officials on criminal cases.

Bramnick added that he understood why those in attendance were upset with ICE.

“I’m sympathetic, but I still believe this should be a joint effort with Republicans and Democrats to identify areas where we really want to protect immigrants, or undocumented, but not protect those that have broken the law and are a threat,” Bramnick said.

State Sen. Troy Singleton, D-Burlington, argued during the hearing that the bill contained no language preventing law enforcement officials from executing criminal investigations.

“I’m just not sure whether the legislation is clear on that point,” Bramnick replied.

During Mukherji’s testimony in favor of the bill, the lights in the Statehouse temporarily turned off. When the lights came back on, Mukherji continued with a criticism of President Donald Trump’s administration.

“The way this administration has turned the lights off on democracy — I think that was fitting,” Mukherji said.

By Thursday evening, after amendments to the bills were made, multiple supporters urged lawmakers to pass the bills in both chambers before the end of the current lame duck legislative session that ends later this month.

“ICE is brutalizing our communities with devastating consequences — we do not have a moment to lose,” said ACLU strategist Ami Kachalia. “We implore lawmakers to send this bill package to Gov. Murphy’s desk to become law, and will continue to fight for the constitutional rights of all New Jerseyans.”

Earlier that day, Murphy declined to comment on whether he would support any of the bills moving through the legislature.

A spokesperson for the administration said Murphy is aiming to sign the hundreds of bills passed during the lame duck session by Monday.

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