Business, Clergy Leaders Call for Immigrant COVID Aid in New Jersey
Business, Clergy Leaders Call for Immigrant COVID Aid in New Jersey
Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Latino Clergy and National Action Network Leaders Urge Passage of A4171/S2480, Bills Stalled in the Legislature to Bring Aid to Immigrants
New Jersey – Monday November 16, 2020: On Monday, clergy and business leaders will hold a press conference to urge passage of legislation to extend COVID aid to the state’s half million undocumented immigrants and their families that have been excluded from most safety net programs and aid.
In New Jersey, undocumented immigrants have been disproportionately harmed by the COVID-19 pandemic and are excluded from nearly every form of government aid. Many undocumented immigrants work in essential occupations, including delivery, warehouse, health care, and cleaning professions, which have allowed millions of New Jerseyans to shelter in place during the worst months of the pandemic. Despite their contributions, undocumented immigrants are ineligible for unemployment insurance, TANF, SNAP, and most other safety net programs. In addition, the federal CARES Act stimulus payments excluded undocumented immigrant taxpayers and their US citizen spouses and children. In New Jersey, by some estimates, 604,615 people in New Jersey, including 262,527 U.S. citizens, lived with at least one undocumented family member.
Pending legislation S2480/A4171 would provide one time payments to some undocumented tax filers in New Jersey. This legislation currently has bipartisan support in the state legislature and 19 co-sponsors in the Senate and 26 in the Assembly. Recently, the Star Ledger editorial board endorsed the legislation, calling it a “reasonable first step” to meet the vast need.
WHO: New Jersey Coalition of Latino Pastors and Ministers, Faith in New Jersey, Make the Road New Jersey, NJ Statewide Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, LADA, African Diaspora for Justice, National Action Network, Wind of the Spirit
WHAT: Press conference urging recovery for all -immigrant access to aid
WHEN: Monday November 16, 10:30am
WHERE: ZOOM — email ruth.delgado@maketheroadnj.org for zoom information
Speaker List
Rev. Raul Ruiz, president of the New Jersey Coalition of Latino Pastors and Ministers
Abril Barrales, owner of Ay Chihuahua restaurant in Passaic, NJ and member of Make the Road NJ
Luis De La Hoz, NJ Statewide Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
Reverend Steffie Bartley, National Action Network
Rev Dr Prince A.Z.K. Adekoya, II , President African Diaspora for Justice
Andres Acebo, Latin American Democratic Association President
Faith leader, Faith in New Jersey
Rev. Osvaldo Jimenez
Recent coverage:
Make the Road NJ report on immigrants in NJ under COVID: https://www.maketheroadnj.org/report_essential_and_excluded
Second report: https://www.maketheroadnj.org/report_6months_no_relief
Rutgers University/NJ Policy Perspective report on impact of COVID on immigrant workforce: https://www.insidernj.com/press-release/new-analysis-undocumented-workers-service-sector-likely-harmed-covid-19-pandemic/
Letter from 55 organizations calling for pandemic relief fund: https://www.insidernj.com/press-release/55-labor-community-faith-organizations-call-governor-murphy-legislature-provide-covid-aid-immigrants/
“100 Days without Relief”: https://www.nj.com/opinion/2020/06/100-days-without-a-job-without-relief-opinion.html
Endorsing organizations for the Recovery for All campaign include:
1199 SEIU United Healthcare Workers East
32BJ SEIU
Action Together New Jersey
Advocates for Children of New Jersey
American Civil Liberties Union of New Jersey
American Friends Service Committee
Anti-Poverty Network of New Jersey
Bangladeshi American Women’s Development Initiative
BlueWaveNJ
Camden Coalition of Healthcare Providers
Casa de Esperanza
Casa Freehold
CATA – The Farmworker Support Committee
Central Jersey Coalition Against Endless War
Council for Faith in Action, Unitarian Universalist Church of Washington Crossing
Faith In New Jersey
First Friends of NJ & NY
Food & Water Action
Greater Red Bank Women’s Initiative
Hudson County Central Labor Council
IFPTE Local 194
Kids in Need of Defense (KIND)
Latin American Legal Defense and Education Fund
Latino Action Network
Laundry Workers Center
Laura Cohen, Distinguished Clinical Professor of Law, Rutgers Law School
LUPEPAC
LUPE Foundation
Make the Road New Jersey
National Day Laborer Organizing Network
National Domestic Workers Alliance
Neighborhood Assistance Office
New Jersey Alliance for Immigrant Justice
New Jersey Citizen Action
New Jersey Coalition of Latino Pastors and Ministers
New Jersey Consortium for Immigrant Children
New Jersey Education Association
New Jersey Institute for Social Justice
New Jersey Policy Perspective
New Jersey Working Families
New Labor
NJ Coalition to End Domestic Violence
Our Revolution Essex County
Our Revolution Monmouth
Our Revolution New Jersey
Our Revolution Ocean County
People Demanding Action, NJ
Robbinsville Democratic Club
RWDSU Local 108
RWDSU Local 262
UndocuRutgers
Unidad Latina en Acción
Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Monmouth County
Unitarian Universalist Faith Action
Victoria Foundation
Wind of the Spirit Immigrant Resource Center
