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/

https://www.northjersey.com/story/news/new-jersey/2020/06/17/coronavirus-nj-protesters-demand-relief-undocumented-immigrants/3206647001/

https://www.nj.com/coronavirus/2020/06/undocumented-immigrants-pay-taxes-into-unemployment-but-cant-collect-theyre-asking-for-payments.html

“100 Days without Relief”: https://www.nj.com/opinion/2020/06/100-days-without-a-job-without-relief-opinion.html

https://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/nj-s-undocumented-immigrants-and-covid-19-free-falling-through-the-safety-net/article_a1f68481-46f4-5ffe-9a15-acbafd80fa3c.html

https://www.njtvonline.org/news/video/no-relief-for-unemployed-and-undocumented-workers-suffering-through-pandemic/

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

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