Make the Road Action Endorses Gov. Phil Murphy for Re-Election

Elizabeth, New Jersey – August 26, 2021: Today, membership-based organization Make the Road Action announced their endorsement of Gov. Phil Murphy for re-election.

“As a naturalized citizen and longtime activist, I am ready to fight for a state where everyone can thrive, and with Gov. Murphy at the helm, we are headed in the right direction. COVID-19 has wreaked havoc on our state and country, and nowhere has the loss of life and economic collapse been felt more acutely than with working-class and poor people of color and immigrants. We need bold leadership to ensure our state does not fall back into the worst racial and economic inequality in a century. That means including immigrants in recovery efforts and health care, implementing worker protections that ensure safety and dignity on the job, and ensuring our youth of color are safe in school,” said Jesus Arce, Make the Road Action member.

“Today, I am in college and getting ready to pursue my career in New Jersey thanks to Gov. Murphy’s leadership – four years ago, this would not have been possible for immigrant youth like me. We need his progressive leadership to continue to champion the concerns of working-class communities of color to continue building a New Jersey that is stronger, fairer and welcoming to all,” said Yeimi Hernandez, a member of Make the Road Action.

“Today, thanks to Gov. Murphy’s leadership, workers across our state are on a path to a $15 minimum wage, businesses can no longer get away with stealing their employees’ wages with impunity and immigrants have access to financial aid, occupational licenses and the ability to drive. During the darkest hours of the Trump years, Gov. Murphy made New Jersey a beacon for immigrant communities by dismantling some of the systems that tore our communities apart and fighting back against attacks on families. We look forward to fighting for a second term where every New Jerseyan has an opportunity to thrive and a seat at the table, ” said Sara Cullinane, Director of Make the Road Action – NJ.

“A stronger and fairer New Jersey welcomes all who wish to be part of our future and provides opportunity for hardworking immigrant families to reach their full potential,” said Governor Murphy. “From removing barriers to professional licenses to providing financial aid to DREAMers and expanding access to driver’s licenses for all, we’ve made tremendous strides toward ensuring our vibrant immigrant communities can thrive in the Garden State. I’m grateful for Make the Road Action’s continued support and endorsement.”

Governor Phil Murphy’s first term brought about seismic change with regards to the Garden State’s agenda for immigrants, people of color and workers. Under the Murphy administration, New Jersey has implemented at least nine pro-immigrant policies, including expanding access to drivers licenses for undocumented immigrants, creating the state’s first and nation’s second publicly funded legal representation program for immigrant detainees, severely limiting the relationship between ICE and local law enforcement, expanding financial aid and occupational licenses to Dreamers and undocumented immigrants, divesting from private detention centers, ending future immigration detention contracts and establishing an Office of New Americans. During the pandemic Gov. Murphy started a publicly funded relief program for New Jerseyans left behind from federal aid.

Workers now can count on basic labor standards that were sorely lacking for generations: paid sick days, graduated increase to $15 minimum wage, the first in the nation guaranteed severance pay, the strongest anti-wage theft laws in the country and an enforceable set of workplace safety protections for workers during the pandemic. New Jersey has also expanded the Earned Income Tax Credit for working families while increasing taxation on millionaires and corporations.

Make the Road Action – NJ builds political power rooted in immigrant and working-class communities, promotes progressive policy solutions, and strengthens the movement for justice through electoral and grassroots organizing. On Twitter at @MakeRoadActNJ