We Are One Human Family -Children's Vigils at 11 Locations Throughout NJ

On September 15th at ten or more locations throughout NJ Pax Christi NJ will join the American Friends Service Committee (AFSC) Immigrants Rights Program, NJ Advocates for Immigrant Detainees and over two dozen, houses of worship, religious communities, immigrant rights groups and civic organizations in supporting the right of children to be with their families. The campaign is being called “We Are One Human Family”. The campaign is designed to draw attention to the negative impact of current immigration policy on children and families. Groups will gather at rallies and prayer vigils to support keeping families together, the passing of the Child Citizen Protection Act (H.R. 182), ending the immigration raids particularly of homes that are traumatizing children, ending the forced deportation the parents of US citizen children particularly of community members who are contributing to our society and “putting family values back in immigration policy”. Locations include: Bridgeton, Camden, Dumont, Keyport, Freehold, Jersey City, Highland Park, Hightstown, Morristown, Montclair and Newark.

According to the Pew Hispanic Center, nearly 4 million US citizen children currently live in a household with at least one parent whose immigration status is unauthorized. Many others have at least one parent who is permanent legal resident who can be subject to deportation for minor legal infractions or errors while filing for a change of immigration status. Every year thousands of children are either separated from a parent who has been deported or the children are forced into exile in countries they may have never even visited. The children who are left behind in single parent households suffer emotionally, and financially. Many join the welfare rolls. Some have to leave school to go to work.

Thousands more children are separated on a daily basis from their parents due to US policy of detaining those who are seeking asylum or who are suspected of being in violation of immigration law.
We are holding these vigils because we value family unity and believe that these children should be provided with every opportunity to be raised in a stable and unified family. Please join us on Sept 15th if you can. If not please contact your congressional representative and ask them to support H.R. 182 as a part of humane immigration reform.
Immigration reform is about each and every one of us. It is about what is in our hearts. It is about who we are willing to call friend and neighbor. It is about ending the rejection of our shared humanity which is at the core of the mission of Pax Christi.
For more information on the Sept 15th vigils or other local efforts to enact humane immigration policy contact Kathy O’Leary kolearypcnj@gmail.com 908-273-0751.