Category: Immigration Justice

Dear friends,

Politics is indeed strange.  And often enough it can leave us a bit dispirited, even when public policy indeed advances toward a more progressive outcome.  It’s just not very satisfying a lot of the time.

As you probably heard , on Thursday, December 19, 2013, the New Jersey Legislature and the Governor reached a “compromise” on tuition equity for DREAMers — the number one bill of the Lame Duck session and the thing we’ve been going back to you again and again to call your legislators, get congregants to act, and so on.  And then, right at the time the Assembly was going to vote on the “full” proposal, i.e, with financial aid included, there’s a compromise.  Under the compromise, DREAMers get instate tuition, but they don’t get access to state financial aid.  Better than what they have now, but still not treated as the full New Jerseyans that they are.  One momentary benefit is that they get it right away, which I think means it applies for the Spring Term 2014.

This story is all a bit like the marriage equality fight.  We pushed and pushed, attended rallies and signed petitions, organized with other advocates, all to persuade the Legislature to override the Governor’s veto.  It was going to be a sweet victory, especially since it included a snub to Governor Christie, who progressives would say certainly needs a snub or two.  Then, the court decisions come through and suddenly the Governor decides not to continue the appeal of the lower court decision.  That decision stands — no ringing Supreme Court decision (although the procedural one comes pretty close — read it if you haven’t already done so), and no veto override that would be a clear defeat for the Governor.

How are we to react to these events?  I would say we do so by celebrating the victories we get and then moving on.  I spent my working career on the edge of politics, most of those years in New Jersey.  There were lots of “sort-of wins,” accomplishments that didn’t fully satisfy, and lots of times for trying again.  For me, that’s the nature of things in the public arena.

Did we make this happen?  Would DREAMers not get instate tuition if we had not been there, pushing for a good cause?  Well, no, certainly not UUs by ourselves.  But I fully believe that it would not have happened without the advocacy of all the active and involved groups, organized in a strong coalition, and of course not without the presence and the eloquence of the young people themselves.

Let us grasp the hands of these fellow New Jerseyans.  Let us keep in our minds that there is still work to do, both for the DREAMers’ need for access to state aid and for other immigration issues in our state.  Let us keep active in the coalitions.  And let us continue.

Peace,

Ted Fetter
Immigration Task Force Chair

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•  Introduction to Resources
• A Policy_Brief, outlining the specifics of this issue and why we believe it is important from the perspective of our values as well as good policy;
• A Fact Sheet, with basic background information. The fact sheet contains citations for all facts and figures included in this packet;
• A Bulletin_Insert, designed to be included in Sunday morning service bulletins;
• A Voicemail_Guide for Legislative Calls;
• A Sample_Email for Legislative Contact;
• A Letter Writing Guide for Legislative Contact; and,
• A Sunday-Morning Sign-On Letter.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Dear friends,

We have about ten days more to work on the NJ tuition equality bill — the DREAM act.  Below is good information that I’d like to share.  (Wind of the Spirit, which Ilana Rossoff helps to lead, did much of this work, or at least was very much involved in this work.)  Anyway, the data below shows that a majority of Assembly members are on board to vote for the NJ DREAM act when it comes to a vote in the Assembly.  But Governor Christie has recently reneged on his support here, and last week he said he would not sign the bill in its present form.  (He’s not yet saying just what changes would make him accept the bill, so we don’t want to compromise with ourselves yet.  Maybe he’d sign a bill that did not include state financial aid, but that’s for him to say, and maybe make him say it in a conditional veto message.)  Maybe, of course, his new opposition merely represents a new focus — instead of running for Governor, he may now be running for President, and there’s no satisfying his new vision.

But the important thing here is how many of the “maybe” votes listed below we could contact and perhaps help to persuade to vote yes.  The legislative districts of the “maybes” are listed here.  Please look them over.  If you live in one of these districts, or if members of your congregation do, please do everything you can to contact the Assembly members and urge UUs to do so.  We have this week and early next week to do so.

Let’s do it as soon as you can!

Best wishes,

Ted Fetter, Chair
UULMNJ Immigration Task Force

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Dear Friends,

We are writing to alert you to an important issue before the state assembly. We encourage you to support instate tuition to undocumented students. Many of these students, though not born in this country, grew up here and know no other home. Instate tuition would make it possible for these students to prepare for and launch their careers.

Additionally, we are encouraging our assembly members to extend financial aid to these students. Financial aid helps place a college education within reach, especially for low- and middle- income families. The Senate version of the bill, S2479, was approved Monday, November 18th, and DID include the financial aid provision. Governor Christie has indicated he will sign the legislation if passed. An Assembly bill A4225 is similar, but does not include access to financial aid.  Our hope is that the financial aid component will be added before the Assembly acts.

We need congregations to encourage people to make phone calls, write letters, and send letters to their state legislators. As we learn more, we may also be in touch about asking you to consider arranging a constituent meetings. 

We have a few helpful tools for you. The first is an action_request for distribution to your congregations. The second is a position statement from the Immigration Task Force about this issue. Then you will find a sample email, a guide to leaving a voicemail, and letter_writing_materials

Please let us know if members of your congregation are able to get involved, and what we can do to continue to support your efforts!

Thank you so much for your help!

Craig and James

James deBoer, Organizer

Rev. Craig Hirshberg, Exec. Director

 

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The UULMNJ Immigration Task Force is pleased to report that on Monday, November 18th, the New Jersey State Senate voted to approve tuition equity for undocumented young people. Now this important issue is before the Assembly. With tuition equity, undocumented students would be assessed instate tuition rates when they attend New Jersey public institutions of higher learning, rather than being treated as out-of-state residents. The students for whom it makes a difference are New Jerseyans: they live here, they were educated in high school here, and overwhelmingly they intend to stay here and build careers and families. They are our neighbors and friends, though often, they do not have legal status. Instate tuition would make it possible for these students to prepare for and launch their careers.

Additionally, UULMNJ is encouraging our assembly members to extend financial aid to these students. Financial aid helps place a college education within reach, especially for low- and middle- income families. The Senate version of the bill, S2479, was approved Monday, November 18th, and DID include the financial aid provision. Governor Christie has indicated he will sign the legislation if passed. An Assembly bill A4225 is similar, but does not include access to financial aid.  Our hope is that the financial aid component will be added before the Assembly acts.

We need congregations to encourage people to make phone calls, write letters, and send letters to their state legislators. To that end, we have a few helpful tools for you. The first is an action_request for distribution to your congregations. The second is a position statement from the Immigration Task Force about this issue. Then you will find a sample email, a guide to leaving a voicemail, and letter_writing_materials

Please let us know if members of your congregation are able to get involved, and what we can do to continue to support your efforts! As we learn more, we may also be encouraging you to consider arranging constituent meetings.

Thank you so much for your help!

 

 

UULMNJ’s Immigration Task Force is launching a letter writing campaign to President Obama, encouraging him to more closely follow his own Administration’s immigration policies. Their goal is to have members of NJ UU congregations deliver 1,000 letters to him by Inauguration Day, January 21, 2013.  For more information, see below.

Download a sample letter here.

And after you have sent a letter, please drop us an email at director@uulmnj.org to let us know that you have taken action.  Thank you.

To:  Immigration Justice Advocates
From:  UULMNJ Immigration Task Force, Ted Fetter, Chair
RE:  Background for 1000 Voices for Immigration Justice – A letter writing campaign

We are Unitarian Universalists, building upon our heritage as advocates for the rights and dignity of all.

We invite you to join our letter writing campaign to President Obama imploring him to take immediate steps to implement detention and deportation guidelines that were formulated early in his first term.

The sample letter attached focuses on these two areas of immigration policy that we think were not sufficiently implemented: detention and deportation. The administration has promised humane treatment and careful discretion, but in far too many instances, the reality has been just the opposite.

In 2009, Homeland Security Secretary Napolitano announced a package of reforms for immigrant detention, and committed to increase the use of Alternatives to Detention (ATD).  A 2012 report shows that the number of immigrants monitored with ankle bracelets, in-person reporting, and curfews are increasing, but it is very slow and small.  Still, more than 34,000 immigrants are being held in secure detention, at great cost to the government and, more importantly, at great cost to families through forced separations and loss of income.

Here in New Jersey, more than 2000 immigrants are being detained.  Most of these persons pose no danger to the community.  Past experience with ATD shows a 93% rate of appearance, so there is little danger of flight.  In short, it is both more humane and much less costly to the government to use ATD much more than is now being done.

Greater use of prosecutorial discretion to select certain undocumented persons for removal or deportation was a major initiative of the Obama Administration in June 2011.  The key provision was to prioritize persons for removal who pose a serious threat to public safety or national security, certainly a reasonable objective.  But there are many instances in which immigrants have been picked up and detained for removal just because their identities and places of residence are known; just because they are easy to find and to deliver.

Here in New Jersey we have seen the unreasonable selection of certain Indonesian refugees who have been in the United States for a decade or more, and ICE is moving against them.  In short, there is not enough discretion being used in local cases around the country.

In the second Obama term, our hope is that there will be a hallmark of progress toward justice for immigrants by focusing not only on new policy but also on better implementation of existing immigration policy.

UUA CSAI (Congregational Study/Action Issue)
2010-2014 “Immigration as a Moral Issue”

At General Assembly in 2010, Immigration as a Moral Issue was selected as the UUA Congregational Study Action Issue for the next four years. Congregations and districts were encouraged to begin programs of education and reflection, service, community organizing, advocacy, and public witness. The General Assembly held in Phoenix in 2012 was specifically focused on Immigration issues, and the staff Commission on Social Witness (CSW) organized and conducted workshops on the issue.

On November 15, 2012, the CSW will present a draft Statement of Conscience (SOC) on immigration. The draft statement and a ballot to place the SOC on the agenda of GA 2013 will be included in the annual congregational poll, conducted with annual membership certification.

On February 1, 2013, the congregational poll ballots are due, with a quorum of 25% of congregational members participating. This is also the deadline for submission of comments on the draft SOC.

At the General Assembly 2013 the Statement of Conscience will be considered. Approval requires a 2/3 vote of delegates. If the SOC is adopted in 2013, an Implementation Year Workshop will be held on it at General Assembly 2014, concluding the Study/Action cycle. For more information about the CSAI process and timetable, go to UUA’s site CSAI process [tt_vector icon=”fa-external-link”].