Stop Understanding, Start Feeling

As I sat down to write this blog post, about our upcoming protest on December 7th in Newark over the for-profit immigration detention contract, I was tempted to lead with statistics about the percentage of foreign born residents in Essex County. Then I remembered a quote from a book on racial justice by Father Bryan Massingale. "We act justly not because we are intellectually convinced, but because we are passionately moved. Compassion moves the will to justice."

As a movement and as individual activists, there is a tendency toward providing facts, data and statistics that support just immigration policy. There is the belief that if only we could effectively combat the tremendous body of misinformation we would prevail. The problem is that one of the primary tactics of the campaign against immigration reform is an attempt to dehumanize an entire group of people.

However, it becomes obvious, that what is fueling the anti-immigrant movement is anything but rational. The statistics are simply a justification for a deep seated fear of people who are in some way different. It is a deep seated fear that these new people will upset the social order.

I am often asked why I am an advocate for immigration reform. After all, being an advocate for social change of any kind does not win a person any popularity contests, particularly not in New Jersey’s suburbs. I can only describe it as a conversion after encounters with people who were suffering under the injustice of our immigration system. These were moments where, as Catholic and a Christian, I recognized the face of Jesus in the suffering of the people before me and I felt their pain in a deep and profound way. At these times I was able to see that it was merely by luck of my birth and circumstances that I was spared their suffering.

Perhaps that is why I am transfixed by this video. I do not understand the words that Frank uses to describe the plight of immigrants in detention or the injustice of the system that imprisons them for-profit… I feel them.



We need to stop pinning our hopes for change to an intellectual exercise where we ascribe economic value to the lives of people who are immigrants. By doing so, we only contribute to their dehumanization. We need to talk about immigrants as people with innate value as human beings. We need to elevate their lives and their stories, flawed and imperfect though they may be.

Until we have the courage to stridently proclaim, not that some are deserving because they can contribute, but that all are entitled to the basic necessities of life because they are human, we will not prevail.

I hope you will watch Frank’s video as I have, over and over, and share it with your friends. I believe with all my heart and I feel in my soul that the very passion and the power of the emotion that he expresses is our path forward as a movement.

We must stop trying to understand and open our hearts. We must start feeling the pain of our brothers and sisters who are immigrants. Our compassion for their suffering is what will motivate us to act in solidarity for justice.

If you can, please join us in Newark on December 7th, beginning at 4:00 pm in Military Park and later at 7:00 pm at the Essex County Freeholders meeting. If not please sign the petition to revoke the ICE contract in Newark and start putting people before profit.

An Invitation for Abuse in Essex County

This past August, the Essex County Executive, Joe DiVincenzo, entered into an inter-governmental services agreement (IGSA) with Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to increase the number of ICE detainees held in Essex County to 1250. The contract is being touted as a way to generate huge revenue for the county, which may, in turn, benefit some property owners. However, serious questions regarding whether the county will experience any net benefit from the contract, and the effect that incarceration for profit will have on already inhumane conditions remain. We are also left with the overarching question of whether or not using the incarceration of people as a way to make money is an acceptable way for Essex County to raise revenue.

Unfortunately for Essex County's coffers, the prison business is labor intensive and one where economies of scale do not easily apply. The $50 million per year the County Executive claims Essex will receive is significantly overstated. Essex County has admitted, through written communication, that this is both a gross revenue number and one calculated using an absolute best case scenario of all 1250 beds being filled at all times at the full $108/day reimbursement rate.

Though Essex County claims that "all appropriate analysis have been done," it has been less than forthcoming about the costs associated with the contract. We know from published reports that the subcontract with Community Education Centers (CEC), the politically connected, for-profit firm that runs Delaney Hall, alone will reduce this number by at least $8-10 million.

No calculation of the increased cost of additional guards, or required improvements to the facilities has been provided and Essex County is claiming that despite repeatedly promoting the increased training that all guards would undergo as a result of the new contract there are no costs associated with this training. Despite repeated requests for information, all the Essex County Administration will say so far about the costs of the contract with ICE is that they are "fixed based on our operational costs." Although, the costs associated with running a public facility is public information, Essex County has yet to divulge what those costs are.

Essex County Freeholder Ralph Caputo who is chair the penal committee for Essex County says the new contract between the county and ICE is "unpleasant but useful" because it will raise revenues. Joe DiVincenzo has called the agreement between Essex and ICE a "homerun" and. says it will "help reduce the financial burden on our taxpayers." However, the county has no control over property taxes. That is up to the individual municipalities to decide. In fact, Newark just announced a 4.6% property tax increase for the coming year despite the fact that Essex County presented a balanced budget for 2011 that included projected revenues of $27.5 million from the ICE contract.

This past June, after months of testimony from advocates, service providers and community members, Freeholder Caputo announced that Essex County would investigate charges of violations of the NJ Administrative Code and other civil & human rights violations. He invited advocates to join this effort to oversee the jail. Essex County has since reneged on this offer.

It appears that Essex County is either not being realistic about costs associated with running an immigration detention facility or they are going to be running a facility that is woefully unprepared to adequately meet the needs of the expanding immigrant detainee population.

The Essex County Executive and the Freeholders want us to believe that they can spin the misery of the immigrants in their custody into gold for the rest of the residents of Essex County, but by perpetuating an environment in which profit is the primary motivator while shirking their responsibility for oversight, they are inviting abuse.

Please join at Peter Francisco Park in Newark tomorrow at 1:30 pm as we demand that the Freeholders revoke the new ICE contract and institute a community oversight board for the jail and Delaney Hall.

Whether or not you can come please sign the petition.

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.

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?

Immigration Policy - Keeping Families in Poverty

[I]t is important that communities do not think that they have completed their duty to migrants simply by performing acts of fraternal assistance or even by supporting legislation aimed at giving them their due place in society while respecting their identity as foreigners. Christians must in fact promote an authentic culture of welcome capable of accepting the truly human values of the immigrants over and above any difficulties caused by living together with persons who are different… Christians will accomplish all this by means of a truly fraternal welcome in the sense of St Paul’s admonition, “Welcome one another then, as Christ welcomed you, for the glory of God” (Rm 15:7) - PONTIFICAL COUNCILFOR THE PASTORAL CARE OF MIGRANTS AND ITINERANT PEOPLE Erga migrantes caritas Christi (The love of Christ towards migrants)

The far reaching damage to communities and families created by public policies that have been shaped by an enforcement first attitude, such as the Rockefeller Drug Laws, has been well documented. Currently, the arguments of homeland security and the rule of law which seek to criminalize the human right of migration are prevailing in the immigration “debate” and are providing the veil of legitimacy for oppressive laws and immigration policies resulting in the deepening and perpetuating of poverty.

Some of these laws deal specifically with immigration, but limits on benefits, entitlements and even human rights are being attached to all kinds of laws and policies which reach far beyond the border and persecute immigrants, both undocumented and legal permanent residents. They exist at the federal state and local level in part due to the vacuum created by the inaction of legislators in Washington, but also are a reflection of a punitive attitude toward immigration policy.

What everyone needs to understand about immigration enforcement is that it is extremely costly and it separates families. 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.

The US will spend nearly $2 billion on detention alone this year and billions more on raids and border enforcement. Just like the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, the war on immigrants is stealing money that could be used on much needed social programs. The Obama Administration while promising to fight for comprehensive immigration reform has also promised heightened enforcement. 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. These are statistics that Janet Napolitano regularly touts as a significant accomplishment.

Those in detention include not only the undocumented, but also legal permanent residents all of whom 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. Also because of the IIRA those who are deported are likely to be barred from re-entering the US for a minimum of ten years if not for life.

The families of US citizen children who have at least one parent who has been deported must make a series of heart wrenching decisions. Do they live separated? Do they leave their children in the care of another, possibly in foster-care? Do the children return to the home country of their parents effectively living in exile? No matter how they chose to answer, the emotional and economic burden which will be placed on these families is tremendous. The stress on the social fabric and the burden to social institutions created by children living in single-parent families is also great and has also been well documented.

In addition, immigrant families living in the US, intact or otherwise, suffer the consequences of policies designed to produce deportation by attrition. By limiting access to the social safety net and the basic needs of food, shelter, education, etc. it is hoped that immigrants will just give up and go home.

People who are undocumented are barred from receiving food stamps, WIC assistance, public housing, HUD money or other government subsidies. Private agencies that accept public money to provide housing to the poor are also barred from providing shelter to anyone without papers. In addition, local legislation has been enacted in recent years making it a crime to rent to undocumented immigrants in the municipalities of Riverside, NJ; Hazelton, PA and Fremont, NE. Beginning July 29, 2010, it became a crime in Arizona to provide shelter to anyone who there is reason to believe may be undocumented.

In terms of healthcare, undocumented immigrants are barred from receiving Medicaid. They are also barred from purchasing healthcare from the soon to be created insurance exchange as a result of the recently passed healthcare reform bill. On the state level, in NJ, Massachusetts, and several other states facing difficult budget decisions, legal residents who are immigrants have been dropped from state programs that provide healthcare to families in poverty.

Education which has offered a way out of poverty for many past generations of immigrants is more difficult for the children of immigrants to access. Despite a Supreme Court decision requiring all public schools to admit students regardless of immigration status, immigrant children are regularly discriminated against in the admissions process to public schools. A survey by the ACLU of NJ in 2006 showed that as many as 20% of local school districts in NJ where either requiring proof of legal immigration status or requiring information that would reveal a student's immigration status during the enrollment process. A follow up survey in 2008 revealed that many of the districts previously found to be in violation had not changed their policies or procedures despite written notice.

When it comes to college, undocumented students do not have access to federal grants and loans and, in all but nine states, undocumented students are forced to pay out of state tuition. South Carolina and Oklahoma were recently joined by Georgia in banning undocumented students from state colleges and universities all together.

This past January in NJ, an attempt to extend in-state tuition to all students who could prove physical residency failed to pass both houses of the legislature. This leaves in place a system by which individual institutions set their own policies regarding tuition and admission of undocumented students. The County College of Morris currently completely bars the admission of students who are without papers. A bill that is currently pending in NJ would bar all undocumented students from public colleges and universities. It is one of about a half dozen anti-immigrant bills that have been introduced in NJ following a nationwide trend.

The sad fact is that the arguments that generate these laws and policies have become so pervasive and accepted that even if the most liberal comprehensive immigration reform bill is enacted into law it will not address many of the issues created by an enforcement first policy. This means our strategy for immigration reform must have a local component that engages legislators and community leaders at all levels.

As people of faith who believe in the Gospel’s call to radical hospitality we must look beyond Washington DC in our advocacy for immigrants. It is not enough that we oppose the totality of the injustice created by our federal immigration policy, we are also called to mitigate the suffering of individuals and families while we work and pray for systemic change.

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.

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.

We Are One Human Family -Children's Vigils Sept 15

On September 2nd 1990, the UN and its member nations recognized that “the inherent dignity and … the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world” as it ratified the Convention on the Rights of the Child.

Join us on September 15th, 2009
At events throughout NY/NJ as we celebrate this historic document and let our lawmakers know that We Are ONE in our support of:
* The Rights of Children
* Family Unification
* Humane Immigration Policy

Because We Are ONE Human Family

Purpose of the Children’s Vigils

* Promoting the Child Citizen Protection Act, H.R. 182
* Supporting the central principle of family unification in immigration reform.
* Celebrating the ratification of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child
* Urging the U.S. to endorse the Convention on the Rights of the Child.

For information on co-sponsorship, holding your own vigil or to locate a vigil contact:
Alix Nguefack at 973-854-0401 anguefack@afsc.org
Kathy O’Leary at 908-273-0751 kolearypcnj@gmail.com

Co-sponsored by American Friends Service Committee (AFSC) Immigrant Rights Program & Pax Christi NJ

Archbishop Chaput Ties Pro-Life Cause to Immigration Reform

This past Saturday Archbishop Chaput joined by joined Congressman Jared Polis (D-CO), Congressman Luis V. Gutierrez (D-IL) and other religious and civil leaders addressed a forum on immigration reform. During his opening address he called for Catholics and members of both political parties to work together for immigration reform. He also tied the need for immigration reform to the pro-life cause

“Any Catholic who truly understands his or her faith knows that the right to life precedes and creates the foundation for every other human right. There’s no getting around the priority of that fundamental right to life. But, being “prolife” also means that we need to make laws and social policies that will care for those people already born that no one else will defend… We need to remember that how we treat the weak, the infirm, the elderly, the unborn child and the foreigner reflects on our own humanity.”

Archbishop Chaput’s entire statement follows.

Thank you all for coming today. Let’s settle our hearts for a moment and begin with a prayer:

Lord, you created men and women in your image and endowed them with your dignity. You call each of us to be agents of your justice and mercy in the world. Help us to build a culture of life – a culture that holds all human life in reverence, from the unborn child and the immigrant, to the poor, the homeless, the infirm and the elderly. Give us the character to live the Gospel not just with our words, but with our hearts and our actions. Make us quick to forgive each other, quick to listen to each other, and eager to serve those who are suffering and in need. And finally Lord, in all things, fill us with the courage to follow St. Paul when he urges us to “speak the truth in love.” We ask this trusting in your goodness and in the name of your son, Jesus Christ. Amen.

We have a lot to cover in a short time on an important issue, so I’ll be brief. But I do want to start by thanking Father Greg Ames for his generosity in making his parish available to us today. Father Greg has the heart of a real pastor, and I’m very grateful for his support. I’m also very grateful to Congressmen Polis and Gutierrez for having the courage to put this issue back in front of the public.
Immigration reform in this country has been gridlocked for more than three years, and both Democrats and Republicans have created that paralysis. We made our immigration crisis in a bipartisan way. Now we need to solve it in a bipartisan way that involves good people from both parties, or no party; and people who may have very different convictions. I’m pretty confident that Congressman Polis and I would agree that we disagree – vigorously – on some very serious social issues. But those issues aren’t on the agenda today. What’s on the agenda today is finding a way to make our immigration laws better. We have a mutual interest in that important work -- and I respect the congressman’s sincerity and energy in trying to do something about it.

This morning I celebrated Mass at a Hispanic prolife congress here in the archdiocese. It was a very good prologue to our gathering today. The Catholic commitment to the dignity of the immigrant comes from exactly the same roots as our commitment to the dignity of the unborn child. Any Catholic who truly understands his or her faith knows that the right to life precedes and creates the foundation for every other human right. There’s no getting around the priority of that fundamental right to life. But, being “prolife” also means that we need to make laws and social policies that will care for those people already born that no one else will defend.

In the United States today, we employ a permanent underclass of human beings who build our roads, pick our fruit, clean our hotel rooms, and landscape our lawns. Most of these men and women, like millions of immigrants before them, abide by our laws and simply want a better life for their families. Many have children who are American citizens, or who have been in America so long that they don’t know any other homeland. But they live in a legal limbo. They’re vital to our economy, but they have few legal protections, and thousands of families have been separated by arrests and deportations.

We need to remember that how we treat the weak, the infirm, the elderly, the unborn child and the foreigner reflects on our own humanity. We become what we do, for good or for evil. The Catholic Church respects the law, including immigration law. We respect those men and women who have the difficult job of enforcing it. We do not encourage or help anyone to break the law. We believe Americans have a right to solvent public institutions, secure borders and orderly regulation of immigration.
But we can’t ignore people in need, and we won’t be quiet about laws that don’t work — or that, in their “working,” create impossible contradictions and suffering. Despite all of the heated public argument over the past few years, Americans still find themselves stuck with an immigration system that adequately serves no one. We urgently need the kind of immigration reform that will address our economic and security needs, but will also regularize the status of the many decent undocumented immigrants who help our society to grow. A new Congress and a new president now serve in Washington. They have an extraordinary opportunity to act quickly and justly to solve this problem.

We become what we do, for good or for evil. If we act and speak like bigots, that’s what we become. If we act with justice, intelligence, common sense and mercy, then we become something quite different. We become the people and the nation God intended us to be. Our country’s immigration crisis is a test of our humanity. Whether we pass it is entirely up to us. That’s why this gathering is important. That’s why we’re here today. And that’s why I hope all of you will take part in this national work for immigration reform as vigorously and unselfishly as possible. The future of our country depends on it.

Thanks, and God bless you.

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