Summit Worshiper Among 6 Arrested During Westfield Protest

WESTFIELD, NJ — A Summit worshiper was among six New Jersey clergy and immigrant rights leaders arrested Monday for refusing to leave Rep. Leonard Lance's office in Westfield during a protest for a "clean Dream Act."

Those arrested included Kristin Peck, a member of the Unitarian Universalist Congregation in Summit; Rabbi Faith Dantowitz of B’nai Abraham in Livingston; Nedia Morsy, an organizer at Make the Road New Jersey, an immigrant rights organization based in Elizabeth.; Rev. Ann Ralosky of First Congregational Church in Montclair, Rabbi Elliott Tepperman of B’nai Keshet in Montclair; and First Congregational Church associate, Pastor John Rogers, according to northjersey.com.

The protest held at Lance's office called on him to vote for passage of a “clean Dream Act," which would extend a pathway to citizenship for immigrant youth without criminalizing immigrant families or militarizing the border.

Lance was in Washington, D.C. voting when the protest took place.

“Congressman Lance has great respect for our state clergy and is happy to meet with the congregation at a time that is mutually convenient for both parties as he has done with other religious leaders and groups on numerous occasions," Lance's spokesman John Byers said.

The six leaders went inside Lance's Westfield office at one point "demanding he support a clean Dream Act." They said they would not leave until they get a response and risked arrest.

The six were joined by 100 DREAMers, clergy and supporters holding signs and protesting.

Westfield Police came later that day to arrest the six for civil disobedience. Police did not immediately respond to Patch for comment.

The protest is one of a series of actions this week collaboratively organized by Immigrant rights group Make the Road-NJ of Elizabeth, Faith in New Jersey, Wind of the Spirit, SEIU 32BJ, Bend the Arc, RWDSU, New Jersey Alliance for Immigrant Justice and the Jewish Labor Committee.

"Not only do we need to hold these elected officials accountable but [we need] to defend the very soul of this nation, to demand that we land on the right side of history — on the side of justice, dignity and respect for all our communities," said Make the Road-NJ organizer Nedia Morsy.

(Images and video via Make the Road New Jersey)

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