Pro-Immigrant Rally At Liberty State Park Draws Hundreds

HUDSON COUNTY, NJ — “We’re here to stay.” That was the message that hundreds of immigrants and supporters proclaimed during a large May Day rally at Liberty State Park in Jersey City earlier this month.

According to a news release from organizers, the event was held in response to “a wave of anti-immigrant policies the Trump administration has been pushing in an attempt to criminalize immigrants, separate families and strike fear in communities.”

The rally steering committee included: 32BJ SEIU, New Jersey Alliance for Immigrant Justice, ACLU– NJ, BlueWave NJ, CAIR-NJ, Working Families Alliance, Latino Action Network, New Labor, Make the Road NJ, Wind of the Spirit, Faith in New Jersey, Northeast Regional Council of Carpenters, New Jersey Alliance for Muslim Communities, National Lawyers Guild and the CWA.

“We will not remain silent while our immigrant friends and neighbors are vilified and frightened to leave their homes because of reports of ICE raids, illegal stops and expedited deportations,” said Johanna Calle, Program Coordinator for the New Jersey Alliance for Immigrant Justice. “These policies are not only an assault on the civil rights of communities of color but a dangerous path that is already having dramatic consequences in communities across the country.”

“Liberty State Park, where the Statue of Liberty - which has welcomed generations of immigrants - sits just off the shore, is a fitting location for us to stand in solidarity today and tell the world that we will fight together to ensure America lives up to its promise to continue to be the land of opportunity for all,” said Kevin Brown, 32BJ Vice President and NJ State Director.

"As one of the most diverse states in the nation, New Jersey must lead the way in defending and protecting the most vulnerable amongst us,” said Analilia Mejia Director NJ Working Families Alliance. “We challenge each and every elected leader to live up to the promise of our nation and stand up in defense of the hardworking families that comprise our immigrant communities."

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Photos courtesy of 32BJ SEIU