Thursday tried to walk back comments that he was housing an immigrant who might be in the United States illegally and daring federal officials to remove her. “I didn’t suggest that, with all due respect,

WASHINGTON — New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy said Thursday he was not being literal when he appeared to say he was housing an undocumented immigrant in a garage at his residence and taunt federal officials to “try to get her” — remarks that sparked anger from Republicans.

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy revealed during an interview Saturday with "Blue Wave New Jersey," a progressive grassroots organization, that he is housing an immigrant with questionable legal status at his home and basically dared the Trump administration to "come in to try to get her.

Phil Murphy’s suggestion that he might harbor an immigrant at his home and daring the federal government to come get her handed an easy talking point to the Democrat’s foes looking to replace him and generated two days of headlines as the Trump administration tries to start mass deportations.