Policies

http://library.ramapo.edu:2048/login?url=https://search-proquest-com.library2.ramapo.edu:2443/docview/427966703?accountid=13420 — These are charts taken from a Newspaper that displays demographic information about how many Hispanics reside in North Bergen, Union City, and West New York.

Each of the names of these important players in policy and decision making are hyperlinked to brief biographies of them. Below their names are prominent immigrant and anti-immigrant policies that have been discussed and presented or enacted in each of the towns.

www.northbergen.org/

The government officials of North Bergen include [1]:

www.northbergen.org/

One story about an undocumented immigrant women living in North Bergen named Angelica stands out because her story proves that immigrant lives could be turned around thanks to reform policies. She was thirty-five years old when she came to the United States with a C-1 transit visa in 2006 from Colombia. Her husband is also undocumented. She is eligible to take advantage of a new immigration reform policy that was brought up at an informative public event that was held in the township hall of North Bergen and co-sponsored by Hudson County, North Bergen public officials, and We Are One New Jersey, the immigrant advocacy non-profit organization. This was the first event of its kind in North Bergen. This reform grants some parents deferred action from being deported. This event also educated the residents of Hudson County about President Barack Obama’s executive actions of November 20, 2014 that could protect up to about half of America’s undocumented immigrants from deportation and provide many with working papers. Those eligible under an expanded version of DACA, those who can establish residency since at least 2010, and parents of law-abiding citizens who have lived in the United States from 2010 will benefit from these reforms once they have passed a criminal background check. Phil Swibinsky, the township spokesman, claimed that Mayor Nick Sacco holds this cause dear to his heart and was an early supporter of President Obama’s recent immigration executive order. [5]

www.westnewyorknj.org/

The government officials of West New York include [2]:

www.westnewyorknj.org/

President Trump recently put into place executive orders to deport millions of undocumented immigrants which caused immigrant raids to occur in West New York. ICE, or the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement are aiming for illegal immigrants with criminal backgrounds. The New Jersey ICE office desires to rid any falsehoods that are causing communities to worry and grow anxious [6]. 123 immigrants were arrested in New Jersey, eight being from Hudson County, by ICE as a part of this operation that was led by the ERO or the ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations, supported by ICE’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Brian Michael and the CPB or the United States Customs and Border Protection, under the watch of New York Field Office Director Troy Miller. 90 percent of the amount of arrested immigrants had criminal records [7].

The government officials of Union City include [3]:

On Union City’s official website, there is a page that contains information about an Immigration Laws and Immigration Rights Informational Seminar that was held in 2017. Attorneys well educated about the immigration laws informed residents about their rights, “whether they are documented or undocumented,” in the case they are ever pursued by ICE agents. This event was hosted by Mayor Stack and Board of Commissioners together with the Union City Board of Education-Office of Community Relations. The page ends with the statement: “our community should not live in fear, but need to be informed.” [8] At this seminar, Mayor Stack said, “this city and this country was built on immigrants who were very fortunate to have you leaving here in Union City, Hudson County. So we want you to know that this city, the board of education, whether it be the housing authority, all of the agencies are always here to help you.” [9]

Union City designated itself a sanctuary city after President Trump’s executive order making municipalities to turn in illegal immigrants; it is the second municipality in Hudson County after Jersey City to do so. Being a sanctuary city means that they will not ask their police to work with ICE in reporting any undocumented immigrants unless they are involved in severe crime. An ordinance was also brought up by the commissioners that would cause a municipal identification card program to be put in place for the city. Regardless of immigration status, residents 14 years of age and older also would be able to receive the cards that grant access to various services such as local government agencies, according to Director of Operations Erin Knoedler. Mayor Stack met with Assemblywoman Annette Chaparro and Assemblyman Raj Mukherji who are Hudson County legislators, and local imams at Town Hall to introduce legislation in Trenton to protect New Jersey sanctuary cities; “Bill S3007 would create a program to offer supplementary state funding to any sanctuary cities that lose federal funding from the Trump administration’s recent executive order.” [10]

The government officials of Jersey City include [4]:

Many Jersey City civilians rallied in the year 2016 in support of the proposed President Obama’s deportation relief programs and executive order mentioned above under the section about North Bergen called Deferred Action for Parents of Americans or Lawful Permanent Residents or DAPA, and Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals or DACA. The purpose of DAPA that was brought forth by the president in November 2014, would be to shield parents of U.S.-born children or legal resident children from deportation. They would only be eligible for this three-year protection from deportation and for receiving work permits if they have consistently lived in America since Jan. 1, 2010, and pass a criminal background check. Also on November 2014, the President claimed to wish to grow DACA, which protects unauthorized immigrants from being deported who, as minors, were brought to America, to getting rid of the age limit, and to allowing those who came as children who are now over 31 years old to also apply. The rallying civilians in Jersey City chose a spot, taking advantage of how near they are to New York City and Ellis Island, that showcases the skyline and the Statue of Liberty behind them. These advocates carried signs and posters and chanted phrases going against the separation of families. Johanna Calle of Hackensack, the coordinator for the program New Jersey Alliance for Immigrant Justice, organized this event and showed her support for the immigrants in doing so [11].

In 2019, more rallies occurred after President Donald Trump’s refugee and asylum policies, asking and hoping to seek a safe haven in the United States. This rally was called “The Rise for Refuge” and it was a national event. The First Friends of New Jersey and New York is an organization that supported this rally. They assist immigrants who recently arrived and also send volunteers to pay a visit to those who are held in nearby immigration detention facilities. They protested for the refugee resettlement policies and the chance that the Trump administration may proclaim that he will allow a few thousand refugees to resettle in the United States. [12]

Bibliography:

[1] “Translate Website.” The Official Website of The Township of North Bergen, NJ – Directory, The Township of North Bergen, NJ, www.northbergen.org/.

[2] “The Official Website of The Town of West New York, NJ – Home.” The Official Website of The Town of West New York, NJ – Home, The Town of West New York, NJ, www.westnewyorknj.org/.

[3] “City of Union City, NJ – Official Website : Home.” Union City, NJ, City of Union City, www.ucnj.com/.

[4] “Home – City of Jersey City.” Jersey City, City of Jersey City, jerseycitynj.gov/.

[5] Herzog, Laura. “North Bergen’s Immigrants Seek Answers, Citizenship.” Nj.com, Advance Local Media LLC, 11 Feb. 2015, www.nj.com/hudson/2015/02/north_bergen_immigration_new_laws_citizenship.html.

[6] Risberg, Jillian. “BREAKING NEWS: Immigration Raids Happening in West New York.” Hudson County TV, Hudson TV, 23 Feb. 2017, hudsontv.com/breaking-news-immigration-raids-happening-in-west-new-york/.

[7] Heinis, John. “Honduran National in West New York Among 123 N.J. Immigrants Arrested by ICE.” Hudson County View, Hudson County View, 9 Apr. 2019, hudsoncountyview.com/honduran-national-in-west-new-york-among-123-n-j-immigrants-arrested-by-ice/.

[8] “News Article: Immigration Laws & Immigrant Rights – Informational Seminar.” Union City, NJ, City of Union City, www.ucnj.com/Articles/Read.aspx?id=260.

[9] Heinis, John. “’In Union City There Shouldn’t Be Any Fear,’ Stack Says during Immigration Rights Seminar.” Hudson County View, Hudson County View, 15 Apr. 2018, hudsoncountyview.com/in-union-city-there-shouldnt-be-any-fear-stack-says-during-immigration-rights-seminar/.

[10] Dia, Hannington, and Hannington Dia. “Union City Becomes a Sanctuary City.” Hudson Reporter, Newspaper Media Group, 27 Aug. 2018, hudsonreporter.com/2017/02/19/union-city-becomes-a-sanctuary-city-2/.

[11] Alvarado, Monsy. “Rally for Immigration Reform in Jersey City.” North Jersey, PNJM, 17 Apr. 2016, www.northjersey.com/story/news/new-jersey/2016/04/17/rally-for-immigration-reform-in-jersey-city/94640278/.

[12] Alvarado, Monsy. “Rally in Jersey City Takes a Stand against Trump’s Refugee and Asylum Policies.” North Jersey, NorthJersey, 4 Aug. 2019, www.northjersey.com/story/news/new-jersey/2019/08/03/rally-jersey-city-takes-stand-vs-trump-refugee-and-asylum-policies/1900445001/.

[13] Gray, J. (1991, Feb 23). Hudson county a harbinger of a new hispanic influence. New York Times, Retrieved from http://library.ramapo.edu:2048/login?url=https://search-proquest-com.library2.ramapo.edu:2443/docview/427966703?accountid=13420