In response to the ICE raids targeting immigrants, NJAIJ releases the following statement.

Johanna Calle, director of New Jersey Alliance for Immigrant Justice said,

“Trump is continuing to create chaos and panic for immigrant communities. Beginning Sunday, ICE is targeting families and teenagers to send to detention facilities that are already overcrowded. This is a continuation of this administration creating a crisis based on political calculus and wreaking havoc across the nation over the past few years.

“As the horrific reality of the Trump Administration’s policies at the border and in ICE detention facilities continues to come to light, we call New Jersey leaders to stand with our communities by rejecting anti-immigrant rhetoric and policies. We cannot call ourselves a state of immigrants while some localities continue to profit off the detention of our families. New Jersey must affirmatively stand on the right side of history by implementing policies that allow immigrants regardless of status to live with dignity and protect their families such as providing legal representation and through the expansion of access to driver’s licenses to all.”