JSFiddle - React, Tailwind, and code Playground

JavaScript

let arr = [
{ _id: 1, item: null },
       { _id: 2 },
       { _id: 3, item: 3 }
]

function filter_array_values(arr) {
  arr = arr.filter(isEligible);
  return arr;
}

function isEligible(value) {
  if(value.item != null) {
    return value;
  }
}

console.log(filter_array_values(arr));