Politics & Government

Essential Immigrant Workers Protest At Newark Penn Station

"Why are we essential, but still deportable?"

Dozens of immigrants and their families held a protest at Newark Penn Station on Friday morning to demand “a pathway to citizenship” for essential workers.
Dozens of immigrants and their families held a protest at Newark Penn Station on Friday morning to demand “a pathway to citizenship” for essential workers. (Photo: Make the Road New Jersey)

NEWARK, NJ — Dozens of immigrants and their families held a protest at Newark Penn Station on Friday morning to demand “a pathway to citizenship” for essential workers.

The rally at Newark Penn was part of a nationwide day of action, with other events planned for New York City, Washington D.C. and other U.S. cities.

According to a statement from Make the Road New Jersey, which helped to spearhead the rally, protesters are demanding that Congress put forward a “just infrastructure package” that has protections for immigrant essential workers.

Find out what's happening in Newarkfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

Protesters are also calling for a “humane immigration system” that will protect an estimated 11 million undocumented immigrants in the U.S.

“Essential workers are critical to the infrastructure that kept America open and running through a pandemic,” Make the Road New Jersey stated.

Find out what's happening in Newarkfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

“Last week, the national movement scored a crucial victory when Congressional Democrats announced that their infrastructure package would include a pathway to citizenship,” the group continued. “As Washington continues to debate an infrastructure package, it is critical that Democrats hold the line and maintain the inclusion of a pathway to citizenship for immigrant essential workers to ensure we all get through this crisis and beyond.”

Send local news tips and correction requests to eric.kiefer@patch.com

Sign up for Patch email newsletters. Learn more about posting announcements or events to your local Patch site. Don’t forget to visit the Patch Newark Facebook page.

Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.