Immigration Advocates Keep Pressure On Biden As He Visits NJ

NEW JERSEY — When President Joe Biden visited New Jersey on Monday, he was greeted with a chorus of well-wishes from his supporters. But the president also faced some hard questions from immigration activists, who continue to demand a federal “pathway to citizenship” for millions of undocumented immigrants.

Biden was expected to join Gov. Phil Murphy at a "non-campaign related event," making stops at a day care center in North Plainfield and the New Jersey Transit Meadowlands Maintenance Complex in Kearny. The president is reportedly hoping to rally support for his bipartisan infrastructure deal and Build Back Better agenda.

• See related article: Joe Biden Coming To New Jersey As Governor Election Nears

But just like when Vice President Kamala Harris toured New Jersey earlier this month, some local activists used the visit from the White House to push for immigration reform. And they’re not pulling punches about how they feel about the campaign promises that helped Biden defeat former president Donald Trump.

“The only thing we’ve been able to depend on from the Biden-Harris Administration so far is disappointment,” said Helen Zamora-Bustos of Wind of the Spirit Immigrant Resource Center.

“From hounding refugees on horseback with whip in hand, to reopening infamous former private prisons as places to detain immigrants, to fighting a court order so they can keep deporting babies back to a disaster area in Haiti, the legal, fair and humane immigration system they promised has disappeared before it started,” Zamora-Bustos added. “We can’t let the promise of citizenship be the next disappointment.”

Make the Road New Jersey was among those pushing for immigration reform on Monday. According to the group, a pathway to citizenship for “Dreamers,” TPS holders, farmworkers and essential workers could impact at least nine million people in the U.S., including more than 300,000 in the Garden State.

“The president's visit to New Jersey — one of the most immigrant populous states in the nation — comes after the unelected Senate Parliamentarian has issued opinions again and again to exclude citizenship from the budget reconciliation package and amidst pressure from immigrant groups to pass a pathway to citizenship,” Make the Road New Jersey charged.

“I'm urging President Biden to deliver on his promise to immigrant communities and pass a pathway to citizenship through reconciliation,” said Jenny Llugcha, a member of Make the Road New Jersey and an essential worker.

“Every day I worry that I'll be separated from my daughters,” Llugcha said. “New Jersey is our home and we deserve a pathway to citizenship, dignity and respect.”

“As President Biden heads to visit New Jersey on Monday, he needs to remember the promises he made to our communities in 2020,” said Amy Torres, executive director of New Jersey Alliance For Immigrant Justice.

“Naturalized immigrants comprise nearly 1 in 5 voting-age citizens here, making immigrant justice a kitchen table issue across the state,” Torres added.

HAITIAN REFUGEES

Just days before Biden’s arrival in New Jersey, Haitian and Black community leaders and supporters held a protest outside the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) field office in Newark.

According to a statement from organizers, the rally was held to demand that the Biden administration immediately "stop deportations, end the Trump-era Title 42 clause, and restore the right to asylum." Read More: NJ Haitian Community Plans Protest Outside Newark ICE Office

Participating organizations included the League of Haitian American Diaspora Alliance Network, National Haitian American Elected Official Network, New Jersey Haitian Pastors Association, Haiti Solidarity Network of the Northeast, VOILA, American Friends Service Committee - Immigrant Rights Program (AFSC-IRP), Faith in New Jersey, First Friends of NJ/NY, and New Jersey Alliance for Immigrant Justice.

Organizers released a statement in the wake of Friday’s protest, explaining the reason they hit the streets:

“The Biden administration has ignored calls to stop the deportation of about 10,000 Haitians and other Black asylum seekers. In the last month, the world has witnessed the largest mass expulsions of migrants in recent US history with 78 ICE deportation flights to Haiti since September 16, including at least two flights just this week. Additionally, over the last few weeks, we witnessed horrific images of US border patrol agents whipping Black migrants. Haitian and Black community leaders are calling on President Biden and the New Jersey congressional delegation to go beyond statements and initiate policies that work to support and protect Haitian and Black immigrants.”

Several New Jerseyans spoke out at the rally about witnessing the heartbreaking mistreatment of fellow Haitian and Black migrants.

“Throughout my years here, it has been very clear to me that my fellow compatriot Haitians do not have the same opportunity [that I did] to come here legally,” said Renel Pierre, a Haitian immigrant and community leader with Faith in New Jersey.

“It is heartbreaking to see what's been happening at the border with the Haitian refugees, who are seeking asylum, better opportunities and to ultimately live the American dream,” Pierre added.

Another member of the group, the Rev. Jean Maurice, said an “uncontrollable gang culture,” the assassination of the president and a deadly earthquake have caused thousands of Haitians to migrate to South America and Central America.

“United States stakeholders must work with the diaspora and Haitians abroad to find practical solutions to these ongoing problems,” Maurice said.

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