In Wake Of ICE Arrests In Several States, Community Meeting On Immigration To Take Place In Princeton

PRINCETON, NJ — The Latin American Legal Defense & Education Fund (LALDEF) and the Princeton University Center for Migration and Development (CMD) are co-hosting a meeting tackling issues related to immigration later this month. The first meeting of local stakeholders in immigration issues, a group of civic-minded residents, business owners and academics who are committed to change in the latino and latina community in Central Jersey, takes place Wednesday evening, May 24, 5 p.m.-7 p.m. The meeting will be held at Nassau Presbyterian Church, 61 Nassau Street, in Princeton.

It will give community members the chance to speak with experts on immigration research, distinguished members of the Princeton Community, and people who have benefitted from LALDEF’s mission.
LALDEF will provide information on its Community ID Card Program, which provides a valuable resource for those without other forms of identification; FUTURO, which supports immigrant students in their transition from high school to college; and Legal Services.

“I extend this invitation with a deep sense of urgency,” LALDEF Chair Patricia Fernández-Kelly wrote in a letter announcing the event to residents. “Immigrants and refugees were at the center of last year’s presidential campaign and Donald J. Trump’s administration is now delivering on promises made by targeting undocumented Americans for harsh treatment. Immigrants and refugees are being tagged as rapists, murderers, and drug dealers. In truth, most of them are workers seeking better lives for their families. They contribute to our economy and aim to embrace mainstream values. They are mothers and fathers of children, many of them born in the United States; and youngsters brought to this country at an early age whose precarious legal status threatens their educational and work-related aspirations.”

The Professor of Sociology at Princeton University went on to say that there is escalating anxiety in the immigrant community following raids and arrests in several states, including New Jersey.

“These are women who worry about the fate of their children in case they are detained and deported; sons and daughters reluctant to attend school for fear that their parents won’t be there when they return home; and small business owners who have contributed to our nation’s economy but who might have to forego ambitions and go deeper into the shadows,” Fernández-Kelly said. “Just last Sunday, The New York Times featured an article titled ‘Too Scared to Report Sexual Abuse. The Fear: Deportation.’ This new climate of terror and distrust is dividing families; creating unnecessary suffering; and dishonoring American traditions of justice, compassion and fair play.”

Light refreshments will be served. To attend, RSVP at mpfk@princeton.edu.For more information about LALDEF, visit laldef.org.

Patch file photo