All She Asked Was That Her Brother Be Treated Humanely

"Please we need help from each & every one of you." the sister of a man held at Delaney Hall, a for-profit immigration detention center in Essex County said.

On October 9th outside of Delaney Hall, the private, for-profit correctional facility that is housing ICE detainees as part of a deal with Essex County, protesters met a woman who had waited an hour and a half to see her brother only to be turned away. She told us how badly her brother was being treated and with tears in her eyes she begged for help.

Remarkably, she did not ask that he be represented by a lawyer, or for him to be set free, all she asked was that he be treated humanely.

Sadly, that is not a given in Essex County or anywhere else that immigrants are being held on behalf of ICE in the United States.

Please watch the video and share it with everyone you know.

And then sign the petition to revoke the ICE contract in Essex County

Then ask your friends to do the same.

…Because we need help from each and every one of you.

Special thanks to Gabriela Garcia from Change.org and Frank Lopez from The Peace Poets for putting this video together.

ICE's Model - a Jail that sits in "Chemical Corridor"

Essex is a story with national implications because the problems at Essex completely undercut ICE's national messaging. ICE is saying that it is in the process of making immigration detention humane. ICE is holding up Essex as a model for the country, but their model consists of a jail that blocks access to clergy, and a hastily partitioned correctional facility located next to a water treatment plant and toxic waste.

Earlier this week at a press conference in front of the Hall of Records in Newark, Cynthia Mellon, the Environmental Justice & Community Organizer for the Ironbound Community Corp., talked about the high levels of pollution, the poor air quality and the concerns about the county's inability to evacuate the occupants of the jail and Delaney Hall in the event of a chemical spill.

The environmental issues at the jail and the ICE contract itself tie into the oppression of immigrants in the surrounding neighborhood. On October 9th we will be marching past a school in the majority Portuguese and Brazilian community in the Ironbound section of Newark. This school needed to be closed twice in the last two years for environmental concerns, first for Benzene and the second time for mold. The children are being bussed to schools out of the city.

Essex County is expanding the prison but it is not building a new school anywhere in the Ironbound. The freeholders and county executive keep talking about how much money the county will make off of this deal with ICE and they say they plan to use it to lower property taxes (most likely taxes in the western suburbs.) So not only will the immigrant community continue to suffer the injustice of having its residents incarcerated in the local prison they will continue living in a polluted neighborhood without a safe school for their children. It is unlikely that they will see a dime of this revenue that the new ICE contract is supposed to bring to Essex.

Not only is ICE is incapable of treating people humanely, there is just no such thing as humane immigration detention.

Free Citizenship Application Assistance this Saturday in Newark

After hosting two successful events on the New Brunswick campus, Citizenship Rutgers comes to Newark on Saturday, October 1, 2011.

Citizenship Rutgers is a university-wide project bringing free citizenship application assistance to qualified green card holders. Modeled on Citizenship NOW!, the citizenship and immigration law project now in its 14th year at the City University of New York, Citizenship Rutgers is a service provided to all of New Jersey's 400,000 green card holders who are seeking citizenship.

In addition to an eligibility review with a trained immigration law professional, participants receive the passport photos required for the application, as well as photocopies of their documents. Legal Permanent Residents of the United States can register to receive assistance by calling (732) 932-9384 ext. 330.

Please note:

To receive assistance, an individual must meet the following requirements: Reside in the United States as a permanent resident for five years (three years if living with and married to the same U.S. citizen); live in the United States for half of the five or three year period; and be at least 18 years old.

Applicants are further instructed to bring: Green card and all passports since obtaining green card; home addresses for the last five or three years; children's information (date of birth, A#, addresses); employment history for the last five or three years; marital history/criminal history. (if applicable).


Applicants pay a $680 filing fee to USCIS but should not bring this fee to the event.

Immigration attorneys who wish to learn more or to volunteer their time on 10/1 can email: yaelbromberg@gmail.com

Citizenship Rutgers is a project of Rutgers School of Law-Camden; Rutgers School of Law-Newark; The Center for Migration and the Global City, Newark; Rutgers School of Management and Labor Relations; the School of Arts and Sciences, New Brunswick; the School of Public Policy and Administration, Camden; and the Civic Engagement and Service Education Partnerships (CESEP) Program. CESEP operates under the auspices of the Rutgers Office of the Associate Vice President for Academic & Public Partnerships with support from the Office of the Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs, The Bonner Foundation, Rutgers' Eagleton Program on Immigration and Democracy, as well as CUNY Citizenship NOW! (City University of New York).

Press Conference 9/27 in Newark Denouncing County Contract with ICE

HUMAN RIGHTS ADVOCATES DENOUNCE EXPANSION OF FLAWED IMMIGRATION DETENTION SYSTEM IN ESSEX

Calling for Community Oversight, Government Accountability, a Rollback of New Contract with ICE and an End to Mandatory Detention

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 26, 2011

Contacts: Amy Gottlieb, American Friends Service Committee, 917-494-6415; Karina Wilkinson, Middlesex Co. Coalition for Immigrant Rights, 310-980-0362

Event Time: Tuesday September 27th 2011 at 11am

Event Location: Lincoln Statue in front of Hall of Records (465 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd) at corner of Springfield Ave. and Market St. in Newark


NEWARK, NJ – New Jersey Advocates for Immigrant Detainees* (NJAID) will hold a press conference calling for a rollback of the newly signed contract between Essex County and Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE) and added government accountability for the immigrant detention system in Essex County. The press conference comes at the 15th anniversary of the signing of the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996, a law that dramatically expanded the use of mandatory detention for immigrants and led to massive deportations, tearing families and communities apart.

“The concept of detaining people on civil charges without a right to bond or parole goes counter to our understanding of justice and protections of human rights. The detention and deportation system has failed immigrant communities miserably, but could easily be fixed in part by eliminating any mandatory detention provisions,” said Silky Shah, Detention Watch Network.

NJAID is deeply concerned about numerous complaints from immigrant detainees and advocates regarding Essex County facilities. The complaints filed include refusal of entry to legal counsel, interpreters and expert witnesses; arbitrary restrictions on family and community visitation; and lack of access to religious clergy. There is also growing concern with health issues as the required outdoor recreation area is adjacent to a toxic waste site.

Concerns increased with the expansion of the detention system through the September 7th Freeholder meeting at which the ICE contract was approved. The total number of detainees in Essex County Jail and Delaney Hall will increase to 1250. Delaney Hall is a facility operated by Community Education Centers, a private corporation. Expansion without addressing the human rights violations may prove fatal: since late 2003, over 110 people have died in immigration detention centers throughout the United States. Members of the community have been showing their concern as well, since September over 1600 signatures have been collected on a petition on Change.org to revoke the contract with ICE.

"ICE has agreed to maintain an average daily population of 700 detainees in Essex County jail, a jail that arbitrarily refuses access to family, clergy and attorneys," said Karina Wilkinson, Middlesex County Coalition for Immigrant Rights, a member group of NJAID. "We have seen no improvement or increased cooperation under the new contract, only more promises of reform."
Human rights advocates have voiced concerns about detainee conditions at Freeholder meetings since last December. Penal Committee chair and Freeholder Ralph Caputo once offered to include advocates in an oversight committee to review the issues raised. However, no such review has occurred. Freeholders have told NJAID that oversight is an ICE responsibility. “This is shirking their responsibility to the people who are now in the county’s custody” said Ed Martone, Director of Public Education and Policy for the NJ Association on Correction. “They do have complete control over the conditions in their own jail.”

This press conference is leading up to a national day of action, which is part of the “Dignity, Not Detention: Preserving Human Rights and Restoring Justice,” campaign led by the Detention Watch Network. The campaign calls for an end to the human rights abuses in detention centers, the restoration of due process in the enforcement of immigration laws, and the implementation of cost saving, community-based alternatives to detention. A local action called “Redefining Cruel and Unusual: Indefinite Detention Amid Toxic Waste” is scheduled for October 9th in Newark.

*The NJ Advocates for Immigrant Detainees is a coalition of the American Civil Liberties Union- New Jersey; American Friends Service Committee (AFSC) Immigrant Rights Program; Casa de Esperanza; Casa Freehold; the Episcopal Immigration Network; IRATE & First Friends; Lutheran Office of Governmental Ministry in NJ; NJ Association on Correction; NJ Forum for Human Rights; Pax Christi NJ; Middlesex County Coalition for Immigrant Rights; Monmouth County Coalition for Immigrant Rights; People’s Organization for Progress, Bergen County Branch; the Reformed Church of Highland Park; Sisters of St. Joseph of Chestnut Hill; Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Montclair

####


Draft Program

1. Welcome

2. Mandatory Detention and Implications (Silky Shah, Detention Watch Network)

3. Increased Immigration Detention in NJ: Elizabeth Detention Center and beyond (Sally Pillay, IRATE/First Friends)

4. Essex County’s Newly Approved Contract with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (Karina Wilkinson, Middlesex County Coalition for Immigrant Rights)

5. Violations of Immigration Detention Standards and Due Process at Essex (John Leschak, Monmouth County Coalition for Immigrant Rights)

6. Environmental and Other Concerns at Essex County (Cynthia Mellon, Community and Environmental Justice Organizer, Ironbound Community Corporation)

7. Essex County Government Accountability and Call for Oversight Committee (Ed Martone, Director of Public Education and Policy for the New Jersey Association on Correction)

Ash Wednesday Pilgrimage -A Transformative Experience

About the middle of February, I found myself looking forward to Ash Wednesday. I had never experienced this before. My Catholic upbringing had conditioned me to dread the day that signaled the beginning of what I had come to regard as 40 days of repentance and self denial. But this Ash Wednesday would be the second time that I would be joining people of faith from all over New Jersey and New York City in front of the footbridge to Ellis Island to walk nearly 12 miles alongside recent immigrants and in solidarity with the suffering of our brothers and sisters who come to our country fleeing persecution, the aftermath of natural disasters, armed conflict or extreme poverty.

This year the pilgrimage marked the beginning of a statewide Lenten Campaign to “Recognize the Human Value of Immigrants” called “Lament, Compassion, Solidarity & Conversion”. The campaign was intended to Lament our country’s current immigration policy, show Compassion for the suffering of immigrants, act in Solidarity with immigrants and pray for a Conversion of hearts so that comprehensive, humane immigration reform can be enacted.

About 10:30 am, after a short prayer service about 50 of us from varied faith traditions began walking. We chanted “we believe in justice” in English and Spanish as we walked through the streets of Jersey City stopping at Assumption/All Saint’s RC Church for a bilingual prayer service and the Islamic Center and Al-Ghazaly School where we listened to a reading from the Koran that spoke of the equality of all people.

At our next stop, the Essex County Correctional Facility, that currently holds at least 500 immigrant detainees with plans to soon expand to as many as 2700 more, we were joined by two bus loads of high school students from Mother Seton Regional High School and Roselle Catholic who would finish the remaining 9 plus miles. We made more stops along the way at the Grace Community Lutheran Church, Federal Immigration Court Building and the new ICE office on Frelinghuysen Avenue.

Along the journey I visited with old friends and made some new ones. I met a high school student and a US citizen who had recently suffered the separation of her father as he was deported to Egypt and whose mother is awaiting the same fate. I also met a man from Cameroon who had spent time in immigration detention despite being a legal resident.

Toward the end of the day, as our joints and muscles all began to ache, one of my fellow pilgrims and I discussed how we were getting a very small glimpse into the many miles that refugees and immigrants have to walk whilst fleeing their homelands like the “lost boys” of Sudan or the Mexican, Central and South American immigrants who put their lives in the hands of the coyotes as they cross the desert.

We ended triumphantly shortly after 6:00 pm at the IRATE & First Friends 13th annual Ash Wednesday vigil at the Elizabeth Detention Center, where we were greeted by over 100 other vigil goers and the NYC Catholic Worker Band.

Though our walk is over the journey continues. I invite you to join us and other people of all faith traditions who will gather at their local house of worship or elsewhere in their home community throughout the coming weeks of Lent to pray that this Lenten season we will all recognize the humanity of our brothers and sisters who are immigrants and that our society’s collective will be moved to justice.

For me, Ash Wednesday has been forever changed from the beginning of 40 days of atoning for personal sin to the beginning of a process of renewal a time of rebuilding our society to reflect the love of Jesus and justice of the Gospel. I will now look forward to Lent as a time of compassion and mercy; an opportunity to build relationships and community through acts of solidarity and understanding with the promise of rebirth that awaits us as we celebrate the resurrection on Easter Sunday.

Endnote: The Lenten Campaign to “Recognize the Human Value of Immigrants” will culminate in a Migrants Way of the Cross beginning at 12:00 noon in Newark in front of the Hall of Records on April 22nd (Good Friday). All are welcome to attend.

Financial Gain from Federal Immigration Detention Contract Will Not Outweigh the Human Cost

At one of their upcoming meetings, the Essex County Freeholders will be voting on a contract with Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) regarding a proposed a new 2,700 bed facility in Essex County. This facility would constitute a significant expansion to the immigration detention system, more than doubling the current number of immigration detention beds currently in NJ.

What everyone needs to understand about immigration enforcement and detention is that it is a system that is flawed, that is extremely costly, that it separates families and that it negatively impacts our local economies and communities.

In 1996, when the Illegal Immigration Reform and Responsibility Act (IIRRA) was passed, detention became mandatory for those suspected of immigration violations (a civil offense under federal law). This quickly expanded a system of administrative detention comprised of about 3,000 beds to over 30,000 and growing. By the end of this year nearly 400,000 people will have passed through the immigration detention system and almost as many will have been deported.

Prior to this increase in detention and deportation the immigration court system was already overburdened and lacked oversight. In 2008, 214 immigration court judges decided 350,000 cases increasing the possibility for many more mistakes. In addition many of the rights meant to safeguard the innocent that apply in criminal cases such as the right to counsel, appeals, phone calls, etc. are not extended to people suspected of immigration violations.

Since 2003 over 100 people have died in immigration detention, some due to obvious medical neglect, though the count is uncertain because there is no process for reporting deaths in immigration detention and no investigation process.

Though it may be considered a money maker for Essex County, the new detention center will be paid for by our federal tax dollars. This year the immigration detention system will cost the US taxpayer $1.7 billon. The proposed Essex County complex alone will cost the US taxpayer in the neighborhood of a quarter of a million dollars per day and in excess of $85 million per year. Just like the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, the war on immigrants is stealing money that could be used on much needed social programs.

Essex County will not see all of this money either as a private, for-profit company, namely Community Education Centers, or CEC, is said to be involved in the planned expansion. CEC has direct ties to both Joe DiVincenzo, the Essex County Executive and to Chris Christie. Bill Palatucci, Christie's former law firm partner and board member of Reform Jersey Now is an officer in CEC. Though Essex County had to participate in an open public bidding process with ICE there is no evidence that CEC did the same with Essex County.

Another nagging question is what will Essex County be getting for this money? Yes some jobs will be created, but it is unavoidable that the county will also be detaining and deporting long-time current residents, legal permanent residents and possible even US citizens for suspected immigration violations. Just over 23% of Essex County's population is foreign born, according to the most recent data from the US Census Bureau. Of this population, 71% have been in this country since before 2000 and 54% are not yet US Citizens. Under the current immigration system people with a legal claim to residency and even citizenship are often mistakenly detained and deported.

Once in the immigration system the burden falls on the individual to prove they have a legal right to be in the United States. Since they are not entitled to legal council, individuals, particularly those who are indigent or have limited ties to family or friends, can find that this is extremely difficult. As a result, the Boston College Law Post Deportation Human Rights Project (PDHRP) estimates that as many as 80,000- 100,000 people have been mistakenly deported. US citizens have been among them.

This was the case with Mark Lyttle who was born in Salisbury North Carolina. He was deported to Mexico in 2008 after serving 85 out of a 100 day sentence at the Pasquotank County Jail in North Carolina for a misdemeanor. Instead of being released Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) made a determination that his real name was Jose Thomas, and that he was Mexican. Though he provided a social security number and the names of relatives, no one checked out his story. Since he had no money he could not afford the phone calls from detention to prove his case. Only after he managed to make his way from Mexico to a US embassy in Guatemala was his story checked out and he was repatriated to the United States.

Those in detention may be the primary breadwinners and caregivers to young children including children who are US citizens. Some 4 million children live in mixed immigration status families, where at least one parent is undocumented. Arguably, millions more live in families where one parent is a legal permanent resident who, because of the IIRRA, are at much greater risk of mandatory detention and deportation for minor non-violent offenses.

This increase in detention will negatively impact the local economy. Immigration detention removes workers and consumers from our local economies, reducing both economic output and consumer spending. Some of the residents of Essex County who will be incarcerated at the new detention center will be from mixed immigration status families, in which at least one parent is undocumented or is a legal permanent resident, and may include a spouse or children who are US citizens. Many will be the primary breadwinners or caregivers for their families. Their detention will only further burden our already stretched social services.

The Essex County Freeholders may be signing up to get big checks from the federal government, but how much will it cost the county and the state in the long run? These numbers that we talk about represent people, not commodities. Hundreds of thousands of lives continue to be ruined, and families continue to be separated. Does this short term financial gain really outweigh the lasting human cost of separated families and the removal of workers, business owners and active participants in our communities?

Keep NJ Off Hate Group's List

ALIPAC, which has been classified as a hate group by the Anti-Defamation League is already calling the delay of the vote on S1036 a significant victory. According to an email sent to all of its membership they intend to add the defeat of this bill to their list of major accomplishments for 2010.

Being on ALIPAC’s list of accomplishments is a distinction our state does not deserve and should not have. Please don’t let our legislature side with ALIPAC and other hate groups that seek to dehumanize immigrants. Please call and ask them to vote in favor of S1036.

Every year approximately 2,000 students are not able to complete their education because of financial struggles. The S1036/A990 bill seeks to allow undocumented students to qualify for in-state tuition rates at public institutions of higher education. This bill would simply allow tuition parity for all New Jersey residents and has no negative fiscal impact. Currently, these students are required to pay out of state tuition rates which impede their ability to attend college and our ability as a state to benefit from their hard-work and talent.

The S1036/A990 bill is scheduled to be voted on by the Senate and the Assembly on Monday January 11th, 2010, and is believe to be a few votes short for approval. This is not a giveaway but an opportunity for young immigrants and long-time residents of New Jersey to reach their potential and eventually contribute to state coffers. New Jersey should pass this bill and reap the benefits of a more educated, tax-paying immigrant population.

Take action now!

Please contact the following Senators and ask them to support the bill S1036/A990, which will benefit a crucial group of students that have graduated with good scores and attended at least three years of high school in New Jersey.

Senator THOMAS H. KEAN, JR.
Senate Minority Office
(609)292-5199
senkean@njleg.org
Senator JOSEPH F. VITALE
(732)855-7441
(732)855-7558 Fax
Senvitale@njleg.org

Senator JEFF VAN DREW
(856)795-0891
(856)765-0897 fAX
senvandrew@njleg.org
Senator NICHOLAS P. SCUTARI
(908)587-0404
(908)587-9312 Fax
Senscutari@njleg.org

Senator FRED H. MADDEN, JR.
(856)232-6700
(856)232-6844 Fax
senmadden@njleg.org
Senator ANTHONY R. BUCCO
(973)627-9700
(973) 627-0131 Fax
senbucco@njleg.org

Senator JAMES BEACH
(856)489-3442
(856)489-4180 Fax
Senbeach@njleg.org
Senator KEVIN J. O'TOOLE
(973) 237-1360
(973) 237-1364 Fax
senotoole@njleg.org

In-State Tuition Vote Postponed Until Monday

Yesterday, the sponsor of the In-State Tuition bill a1036 withdrew it from full Senate consideration until Monday in the hope that we can change the minds of two or three Democratic senators who currently oppose its passage.

Monday is our last chance!

Please everyone call the senators who are currently on the fence and urge them to vote yes. Please call each senator on this list*:

Senator Jeff Van Drew (District 1) - 609-465-0700

Senator Fred Madden (District 4) - 856-232-6700

Senator James Beach (District 6) - 856-489-3442

Senator Shirley Turner (District 15) - 609-530-3277

Senator Joseph Vitale (District 19) - 732-855-7441

Senator Nicholas Scutari (District 22) - 908-587-0404

*If you are a constituent of one of these particular senators - let him/her know.

*If you are not and you are asked say "Extending in-state tuition rates to unauthorized immigrants is beneficial to all New Jerseyans."

Calls Needed to Pass the In-state Tuition Act

The In-State Tuition Act has been list for a vote in the NJ State Senate this coming Thursday January 7th.

The In State Tuition Act (ISTA) that would allow undocumented immigrant youth to pay in-state tuition rate for college was approved in the Appropriation Committee of both the state Assembly and Senate yesterday after eight long years of no movement.

The hearing rooms were packed with supporters. It was standing room only with overflow in the hallway. There was no organized opposition there to testify against the bills. The NJ Regional Coalition, NJ Immigration Policy Network and the NJ Catholic Conference did a great job coordinating testimony from affected students, religious, civic and community leaders.

Your Calls are Needed Now for Final Passage of this Bill

Please call your State Senator between now and Thursday morning and ask them to support S 1036. Below the talking points you will see a list of all the Senators. There will be a full Senate vote on Thursday Jan. 7th. You can say:

- In-State Tuition is critical for immigrant youth to access higher education.

- The report recently released by the State Legislative Affairs says providing resident tuition for undocumented high school graduates will not cost State of NJ any money.

- In-State Tuition is not a public benefit, it’s a way for immigrant youth who have been in NJ for most of their lives to pay more affordable college tuition. They will have to have attended three-year high school in NJ.

- Educating our children and young people will be beneficial for the State of NJ and everyone.



Senator Diane B. Allen Republican
District Office: 11 West Broad St., Burlington, NJ 08016 (609) 239-2800

Senator Bill Baroni Republican
District Office: 3691A Nottingham Way, Hamilton Square, NJ 08690 (609) 631-9988

Senator Christopher Bateman Republican
District Office: 36 East Main St., Somerville, NJ 08876 (908) 526-3600

Senator James Beach Democrat
District Office: 1916 Route 70 East, Suite 3, Cherry Hill, NJ 08003 (856) 489-3442

Senator Jennifer Beck Republican
District Office: 32 Monmouth St., 3rd Floor, Red Bank, NJ 07701 (732) 933-1591

Senator Anthony R. Bucco Republican
District Office: 75 Bloomfield Ave., Suite 302, 3rd Floor, Denville, NJ 07834 (973) 627-9700

Senator Barbara Buono Democrat
District Office: Two Lincoln Highway, Suite 401, Edison, NJ 08820 (732) 205-1372

Senator Gerald Cardinale Republican
District Office: 350 Madison Ave., Cresskill, NJ 07626 (201) 567-2324

Senator Andrew R. Ciesla Republican
District Office: 852 Highway 70, Brick, NJ 08724 (732) 840-9028

Senator Richard J. Codey Democrat
District Office: 449 Mount Pleasant Ave., West Orange, NJ 07052 (973) 731-6770

Senator Christopher J. Connors Republican
District Office: 620 West Lacey Rd., Forked River, NJ 08731 (609) 693-6700

Senator Sandra B. Cunningham Democrat
District Office: 1738 Kennedy Blvd., Jersey City, NJ 07305 (201) 451-5100

Senator Michael J. Doherty Republican
District Office: 127 Belvidere Ave., 2nd Floor, Washington, NJ 07882 (908) 835-0552

Senator Nia H. Gill, Esq. Democrat
District Office: 425 Bloomfield Avenue, 2nd Floor, Montclair, NJ 07042 (973) 509-0388

Senator John A. Girgenti Democrat
District Office: 507 Lafayette Avenue, Hawthorne, NJ 07506 (973) 427-1229

Senator Robert M. Gordon Democrat
District Office: 14-25 Plaza Rd., P.O. Box 398, Fair Lawn, NJ 07410 (201) 703-9779

Senator Philip E. Haines Republican
District Office: 32A North Main St., Medford, NJ 08055 (609) 654-1498

Senator Sean T. Kean Republican
District Office: 1955 Highway 34, Bldg. 2A, Wall Township, NJ 07719 (732) 974-0400

Senator Thomas H. Kean, Jr. Republican
District Office: 425 North Ave. East, Suite C, Westfield, NJ 07090 (908) 232-3673
District Office: 57 Union Place, Suite 310, Summit, NJ 07901 (908) 918-0414
District Office: 251 North Ave. West, 2nd Floor, Westfield, NJ 07090 (908) 232-2073

Senator Joseph M. Kyrillos, Jr. Republican
District Office: 1715 Highway 35, Suite 303, Middletown, NJ 07748 (732) 671-3206

Senator Raymond J. Lesniak Democrat
District Office: 985 Stuyvesant Ave., Union, NJ 07083 (908) 624-0880

Senator Fred H. Madden, Jr. Democrat
District Office: 129 Johnson Rd., Suite 1, Turnersville, NJ 08012 (856) 232-6700
District Office: 1405 Chews Landing Rd., Suite 15, Laurel Springs, NJ 08021 (856) 401-3073

Senator Kevin J. O'Toole Republican Votes by Bill Votes by Subject
District Office: 155 Route 46 West, Suite 108, Wayne, NJ 07470 (973) 237-1360

Senator Steven V. Oroho Republican Votes by Bill Votes by Subject
District Office: 115 Demarest Rd., Suite 2B, Sparta, NJ 07871 (973) 300-0200
District Office: 227 Route 206, Bldg. 1, 1st Floor, Flanders, NJ 07836 (973) 584-4670

Senator Joseph Pennacchio Republican
District Office: 330 Changebridge Road, Suite 102, Pine Brook, NJ 07058 (973) 227-4012

Senator Dana L. Redd Democrat
District Office: 1 Market St., Suite 1F, Camden, NJ 08102 (856) 225-9068

Senator Ronald L. Rice Democrat
District Office: 1044 South Orange Ave., Newark, NJ 07106 (973) 371-5665

Senator M. Teresa Ruiz Democrat
District Office: 166 Bloomfield Ave., Newark, NJ 07104 (973) 484-1000

Senator Nicholas J. Sacco Democrat
District Office: 9060 Palisade Ave., North Bergen, NJ 07047 (201) 295-0200

Senator Paul A. Sarlo Democrat
District Office: 207 Hackensack St., 2nd Floor, Wood-Ridge, NJ 07075 (201) 804-8118

Senator Nicholas P. Scutari Democrat
District Office: 1514 E. Saint Georges Ave., 2nd Floor, Linden, NJ 07036 (908) 587-0404

Senator Robert W. Singer Republican
District Office: 2110 W. County Line Rd., Jackson, NJ 08527 (732) 901-0702

Senator Bob Smith Democrat
District Office: 216 Stelton Rd., Suite E-5, Piscataway, NJ 08854 (732) 752-0770

Senator Brian P. Stack Democrat
District Office: 5801 Palisade Ave., West New York, NJ 07093 (201) 861-5091
District Office: 301 45th St., 1st Floor, Union City, NJ 07087 (201) 558-7926

Senator Stephen M. Sweeney Democrat
District Office: 935 Kings Highway, Suite 400, West Deptford, NJ 08086 (856) 251-9801
District Office: 14 East Commerce St., 3rd Floor, Bridgeton, NJ 08302 (856) 455-1011
District Office: 199 East Broadway, Suite G, Salem, NJ 08079 (856) 339-0808

Senator Shirley K. Turner Democrat
District Office: 1440 Pennington Rd., Trenton, NJ 08618 (609) 530-3277

Senator Jeff Van Drew Democrat
District Office: 21 North Main St., Cape May Court House, NJ 08210 (609) 465-0700
District Office: 1124 North High St., Millville, NJ 08332 (856) 765-0891
District Office: 1028 East Landis Ave., Vineland, NJ 08360 (856) 696-7109
District Office: Additional Phone, Somers Point, NJ (609) 926-3779

Senator Joseph F. Vitale Democrat
District Office: 569 Rahway Ave., Woodbridge, NJ 07095 (732) 855-7441

Senator Loretta Weinberg Democrat
District Office: 545 Cedar Lane, Teaneck, NJ 07666 (201) 928-0100

Senator Jim Whelan Democrat
District Office: 511 Tilton Rd., Northfield, NJ 08225 (609) 383-1388

NJ In-State Tuition Bill Advances

The in-state tuition bill was released yesterday from both the Senate Budget Committee and the Assembly Appropriations Committee after eight long years of no movement.

The hearing rooms were packed with supporters. It was standing room only with overflow in the hallway. There was no organized opposition there to testify against the bills. The NJ Regional Coalition, NJ Immigration Policy Network and the NJ Catholic Conference did a great job coordinating testimony from affected students, religious, civic and community leaders.


What a day!

Please call Congress TODAY for Humane Immigration Reform

Today a group of over 70 individuals representing 25 groups from throughout the state led by the American Friends Service Committee (AFSC) Immigrants Rights Program will be marching for seven miles from the federal building in Newark, NJ to the immigration detention center in Elizabeth in A Walk Toward Humane Immigration Policy.

Please help amplify their actions for humane immigration reform by adding your voice.

It may be particularly important for you to call your representative tomorrow.

If you live in one of the following four districts, your representative is considered a swing vote and his support could be pivotal in crafting immigration reform legislation next year.

District 2 – LoBiondo; District 3 – Adler; District 4 – Smith; District 7 - Lance


The future for the approximately 12 million undocumented immigrants, and the 4 million children living in mixed immigration status families could depend on your representative. Please urge him to reject xenophobia and encourage him to craft legislation that is fair, just, and compassionate.


Please call and say:

"Hello, my name is _____________ and I am a member of [Pax Christi NJ] calling about humane immigration reform. I am deeply concerned about:

* the indiscriminate detention and deportation of immigrants

* the lack of due process in the immigration court system

Please legislate for:

* a path to legal permanent residence for undocumented immigrants which respects the dignity and rights of all workers and families and re-unites immigrant families that have been separated.

Thank you for listening to my concerns. I will hold you, and all workers and families, especially immigrants in my daily prayers."


Please email me kolearypcnj@gmail.com after you have made your phone call so that we can track how many calls were made.

Police Union in Morristown Says No to 287(g)

Good news for Morristown! The police union just announced it will not support the 287(g) program. The clock is running out on Mayor Cresitello's plan to implement 287(g) in Morristown. He will leave office at the end of December after failing to win the local democratic party's nomination. He will be replaced by Tim Dougherty another Democrat who defeated Jim Gervasio earlier this month. Both candidates voiced opposition to the 287(g) program which deputizes local law enforcement to act as immigration agents.

Advance Press Coverage & Final List of "We Are One Human Family" Vigils

We have been getting great advance press coverage of the We Are One Human Family Vigils. Over 10 articles have appeared in so far in local papers. This is a good sign that our events will be covered after the fact as well.

Please help us increase the turnout by inviting your friends and neighbors.

Below is the final list of vigils. Please note that the Dumont vigil will be held tonight and the Morristown vigil has two locations, one at 6:00 pm and one at 7:00 pm.

WHEN: Tuesday September 15th, 2009 (Except Dumont vigil, see below)

WHERE: (list of local vigil sites and local press contacts)

Newark - Peter Francisco Park (east side of Penn Station) 4:00 PM

Cynthia Mellon, Ironbound Community Corporation, 862-755-9577

Bridgeton – In front of the Courthouse on Broad St. 11:30 AM Pastor

Jamie Bagley, Karll’s Corner Community Fellowship, 856-455-7669

Dumont-Calvary United Methodist Church185 W Madison Ave; 7:30 PM, Bonnie Strain, 201-384-8324 [Note: this Vigil will held Monday, September 14th]

Freehold - Sheriff’s Office (corner of Main and Center Sts), 6:00 PM, Rita Dentino, Casa Freehold, 732-492-1852

Hightstown - St. Anthony of Padua Church, Franklin Street; 7:00 PM, Lenore Isleib, co-coordinator, St. Anthony's Social Justice Group, 609-448-6470

Jersey City - McGinley Square; Bergen Ave & Montgomery St. 4:00 PM, Kathy O’Leary, Pax Christi NJ, 973-610-1684

Highland Park - Reformed Church, 19 S. 2cd Ave; 4:00 PM, Pastor Seth Kaper-Dale, 732-249-7349

Keyport - St. Joseph’s Church 376 Maple Pl; 7:30 PM, Fr. Ronald Cioffi, 732-264-0322.

Montclair - Unitarian Universalist Congregation at Montclair 67 Church St; 4:00 PM, Johanna Foster, 914-552-5376.

Morristown (2) – 1) St. Margaret's Church 6 Sussex Ave. 6:00 PM; 2) Pentecostal Church 59 Spring St.; 7:00 PM, Diana Mejia, Wind of the Spirit, 201-563-1062

Princeton Newspaper Publishes Editorial Suppporting Family Values in Immigration

Today I came across the first article about the "We Are One Human Family Campaign".
It is from the Princeton Packet and it focuses on the vigil being held in Hightstown.

Please go and post a positive comment to support the great work of the organizers at St. Anthony of Padua.

Promote Family Unity as a Guiding Principle of Immigration Law

On March 3rd groups from the American Friends Service Committee and Families for Freedom traveled to Washington, DC to lobby Congress about the Child Citizen Protection Act. Many of you supported their effort by calling your Congressperson in support of H.R. 182. There are now 18 co-sponsors of the bill including three more Congressmen from NJ!

Please continue supporting the effort to promote family unity as a guiding principle of immigration law.

Sign the petition on-line by clicking here

Immigration Enforcement Policies Hurt Us All

Just over a year ago, the complexity of the problems in our immigration system was laid bare for the community of Postville, Iowa. The story of Postville is a dramatic tale of the effects of immigration enforcement, but the events and consequences that unfolded a year ago in Iowa are occurring each and every day in communities in New Jersey, only on a smaller scale. Parents are separated from their children, workers are abused, and communities are suffering the loss of residents, wage earners and consumers. These consequences of immigration enforcement hurt us all.

At about 10 am on May 12, 2008, approximately 900 immigration agents, supported by two helicopters, descended on the community of 2200 residents to raid the Agriprocessors meat packing plant. The disruption to the community at large has been likened to that of a natural disaster. In a matter of hours, nearly 20% of the town’s population was arrested and hundreds of families were separated, deprived of caregivers and bread winners. Hundreds were in need of emergency assistance.

Following the raid, people of all faiths came from the surrounding communities to volunteer at St. Bridget’s which had become the center for the relief effort. Calls offering services and financial support from individuals, congregations and organizations came from across the country. The hundreds in need have now dwindled to dozens, but the volunteers at St. Bridget’s are still serving meals, providing help with immigration paperwork, and securing counseling for the trauma caused by the raid.

The raid cost the government $5.2 million as a part of “Operation Return to Sender” which was designed to apprehend dangerous criminals such as drug dealers and gang members. However, only 5 of the 390 people, who were taken into custody that day, had any kind of a criminal record. The owners and operators of the plant, on the other hand, had been known to underpay workers, fail to pay overtime and employ child labor, but the Iowa Attorney General is now having difficulty prosecuting charges of child labor law violations because witnesses have been deported or they are afraid to testify.

A year later the suffering continues for the entire community. Well over 10% of Postville’s population has been deported. Others have moved away. The community is plagued with empty apartments, and shuttered businesses.

There are many lessons to be learned from Postville not the least of these are the importance of family unity, the consequences of dividing our communities, and the meaning of loving one’s neighbors.

May Day is "Worker's Day"

May 1st is recognized around the world as "Worker's Day". The observance dates back to 1886 when tens of thousands of workers commenced a general strike in cities across the country demanding an 8 hour work day.

In honor of May Day I am posting a link to a video by Seth Kaper-Dale, the Pastor of the Reformed Church in Highland Park. His congregation has been effected by the harsh and in-humane immigration policies and torn apart several families in his church when members were deported or detained.



Today thousands of our immigrant brothers and sisters will march demanding their rights as workers and as human beings. Demonstrations will be held today in Newark and Jersey City.

In 1886, hard working people were suffering under bad laws, but people from across the country worked together to change the law.

Today hard working people are still suffering under bad laws. Our immigration system no longer allows workers who are needed for our economy and who need work to feed their families to migrate to the United States. Our current system creates a class of laborers who are exploited and sometimes abused with no opportunity to redress their grievances.

We need to work together to change these laws.

May 2nd Support Immigrant Rights in Morristown, NJ

Please see below information on an event in at St. Margaret’s in Morristown, NJ this Saturday at 10:00 am regarding the pending 287(g) application. Section 287(g)of the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act, a law passed in 1996 in the aftermath of the Oklahoma City bombings, authorizes the Secretary of Homeland Security to enter into agreements with state and local law enforcement agencies, permitting local police officers to perform immigration law enforcement functions.

Currently both the city of Morristown and the county jail in Monmouth have pending 287(g) applications. Mayor Cresitello of Morristown is well known for his anti-immigrant statements and there is much concern from civil, human and immigrant rights advocates as well as from the local community of the effect enacting 287(g) would have on Morristown.

If you can, please come and show your support for the immigrant community of Morristown and speak up in favor of human rights and against the increased militarization of our society.

Additional Info on 287(g)

Last Monday the East Valley Tribune was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for local reporting for its series on the immigration enforcement policies of Sheriff Joe Arpaio in Maricopa County, AZ. Maricopa County is a participant in the 287(g) program.

The conclusion of the series was that the 287(g) program has led to slower response times to emergency calls, a decreased arrest rate and increased overtime costs.

Here is a link to the articles on how 287(g) has affected Maricopa County


Washington Post Article citing a GAO report describing problems with the 287(g) program

What Would 287(g) mean for Morristown?

A Community Conversation

Saturday May 2, 2009 at 10 am

St. Margaret’s Church

6 Sussex Avenue, Morristown, NJ

There has been a lot of conversation lately in Morristown about the proposed 287(g) agreement, which would deputize local police to enforce federal immigration laws. Please join us for a community-wide conversation with Mayor Cresitello and other experts about the 287(g) program and its implications for Morristown, New Jersey and United States.

Sponsored by:

American Friends Service Committee,

Wind of the Spirit and other organizations

Contact: windofthespirit@verizon.net / 973-538-2035- 201.563.1062

Immigrants Rights Advocates Gather Outside Newark Penn Station

About 75 people gathered outside Penn Station in Newark on Good Friday in solidarity and support of immigrants’ right to travel. Below are some pictures of the event.

Thank you to everyone who turned out and who helped organize, but there is more work to do. We need to keep the pressure on. Tell Amtrak and Greyhound to Respect Immigrant Rights & STOP TURNING RIDES INTO RAIDS!

Call Amtrak and Greyhound and tell their presidents to:

· GIVE REFUNDS TO FAMILIES THAT WERE DETAINED WHILE USING THEIR SERVICES

· WARN PEOPLE THAT THEY WILL FACE AN IMMIGRATION INSPECTION WHEN USING THEIR SERVICES

· STOP THIS UNDERHANDED COLLABORATION ALTOGETHER

· PUBLICLY APOLOGIZE

Amtrak: Mr. Alexander Kummant, President: 202-906-3000

Greyhound: Dave Leach, President: 972-789-7000

To view more photos click here.

RIGHTS GROUPS hold Vigil to support immigrants’ right to travel

The press release issued by AFSC Immigrants Rights Program:

RIGHTS GROUPS hold Vigil to support immigrants’ right to travel

Immigrant rights groups recognize that arrests and detentions of immigrants resulting from Amtrak and Greyhound’s cooperation with the Department of Homeland Security leads to devastation of families and communities.

What: Vigil to Support Immigrants’ Right to Travel

Who: Interfaith Coalition for the Rights of Immigration Detainees and their Families and others*

When: Good Friday, April 10th 2009, 1pm to 3pm

Where: Newark Penn Station (Corner of Raymond Plaza West & Market Street), NJ

April 9, 2009 – Immigrant rights groups will lead a Good Friday vigil at Newark’s Pennsylvania Station to raise awareness of the impact of immigration raids on Amtrak trains and Greyhound buses. They will call upon the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to end the raids.

Immigration raids are conducted on Amtrak trains and Greyhound buses within 100 miles of the U.S. border. People traveling through upstate New York to visit family or friends have been taken off of public transportation, arrested, and detained at county jails far from their loved ones or any access to attorneys. Amtrak and Greyhound have failed to inform passengers that if they do not carry immigration documents they run the risk of arrest and detention, while DHS uses racial profiling to target immigrants. These arrests have led to separation and hardship for the family members and communities of the individuals arrested and have frightened other passengers on the trains and buses who witness the arrests.

This event, organized by The Interfaith Coalition for the Rights of Immigration Detainees and their Families, will include participation from sponsoring organizations* (listed below) and concerned citizens. The program will include interfaith prayers, testimonies of affected individuals and comments from lawyers of the American Civil Liberty Union of New Jersey and American Friends Service Committee.

This event is part of the National Week of Action April 8-15, 2009, an initiative of the Rights Working Group and Detention Watch Network to demand fundamental reform of current immigration policy to ensure that due process and human rights of all people are protected. Dozens of other public and private events such as this one will take place during the week of April 8-15 across the country. In New Jersey, several visits to federal legislators have been scheduled. Advocates will also receive a tour of Middlesex County Jail where immigrant detainees are being held and a recent immigrant death occurred.

*Action 21, American Friends Service Committee Immigrant Rights Program, Amnesty International, Casa de Esperanza, Casa Freehold, Detention Watch Network, Families For Freedom, First Friends Middlesex County, Haiti Solidarity Network of the Northeast, Interfaith Coalition for The Rights of Immigration Detainees and their Families, IRATE & First Friends, The Lutheran Office of Governmental Affairs, NJ Association on Corrections, NJ Forum For Human Rights, NJ Immigration Policy Network, NY Immigration Coalition, Pax Christi NJ, Rights Working Group, St. Joseph’s Social Center, Sisters of St. Joseph ESL, Wind of the Spirit