Above: A vigil in Red Bank this past July for Johan Guerrero and the many others killed by the U.S. immigration enforcement system. Henry Craver/AFSC
Over the past month, there have been a number of developments in New Jersey's immigrant rights landscape. We've summarized the most important news below.
Another NJ man dies in ICE custody
On Saturday, August 1, Edwin Lopez was transferred from Delaney Hall to the University Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead on arrival. The day before, Edwin told his mother that parts of his face and right hand had gone numb and that he was waiting for medical exams. Edwin suffered from diabetes, epilepsy, and high blood pressure. His family believes he was not receiving his medications as prescribed.
Edwin was kidnapped by ICE on July 18th. He had lived in the U.S. for 20 years and leaves behind his 12-year-old daughter, Ashley.
Edwin is the second person to die while detained at Delaney Hall in less than a year. In December, Jean Wilson Brutus died just hours after ICE took him to the detention center. The cause of his death is still unknown.
We hold Edwin, Jean, and all those whose lives have been taken by our immigration system's violence in the Light.
ICE enforcement surges across NJ
Recently, AFSC staff and community members have witnessed a surge in ICE enforcement activity across the state. ICE agents have entered small towns where they had never been seen before, and in traditional hotspots like Newark and Trenton, their presence has become ubiquitous. These observations align with national arrest data. According to the New York Times, federal immigration officials were detaining about 2,000 people a day in late June—double the roughly 1,000 people they were detaining earlier this year.
Thousands of New Jerseyans lose status
On July 27, Temporary Protected Status (TPS) expired for roughly 350,000 Haitian recipients and 6,000 Syrian recipients. The cancellations were made possible by the Supreme Court's ruling earlier in July siding with the government in Mullin v. Doe.
This is a tragedy for the thousands of Haitian and Syrian TPS recipients who call New Jersey home, and for the state as a whole. These are our neighbors, family members, coworkers, and friends. They will now be forced to live in fear of being torn away from their homes and forcibly returned to the very violence they fled.
Tell congress to support citizenship for TPS recipients and all immigrants.
Above: AFSC Organizer Serges Demefack, second from front right, attends a rally to protect TPS for Haitians in Washington D.C. this past April.
AFSC NJ launches new higher education resource guide
We’re pleased to announce the launch of our new resource directory, “Higher Education Resources for Immigrants & First-Generation Students in New Jersey”. The first resource of its kind in the state, this guide was developed by AFSC NJ Youth Organizer Julie Flores-Castillo to help students and families navigate the confusing landscape of higher education, financial aid, and professional training opportunities.
Moving forward, we will continue expanding the directory with additional resources, including a guide to employment opportunities for undocumented college graduates in the United States and abroad.
Above: AFSC NJ Organizer Itzel Hernandez speaks at the vigil in Red Bank. Henry Craver/AFSC
As always, thank you for your support! If you are able, please consider making a contribution to fund our work into the future.
In peace,
Henry Craver
Communications Coordinator
AFSC NJ Immigrant Rights Program