admin

On December 15, members and friends of the Community of Friends in Action, Inc., gathered at the Presbyterian Church in Leonia for an annual meeting and potluck dinner.

Representative Lamar Smith, chair of the House Judiciary Committee, is promoting a bill, (H.R. 1932) that would authorize prolonged and indefinite detention of immigrants.  Despite its purported intent to target dangerous convicted criminals, the bill covers large numbers of immigrants with no criminal history, including parents of U.S. citizen children, asylum-seekers and torture survivors who have won their cases in immigration court, as well as lawful permanent residents with decades-old minor convictions.

Smith acknowledges that holding one person in ICE detention costs about $122 per day–yearly, that’s $44,5000 per detainee, for a current total of $2 billion a year.  Smith said, “We ought not be so concerned about the $45,000 a year.” At a time when Congress is making unprecedented spending cuts across the board, it makes no sense to pass a bill that will add considerably to our debt without making the country safer.

The bill has passed the House Judiciary Committee, and could be headed to the House floor for a vote at any time.

We join the ACLU in urging you to oppose H.R. 1932.

The CoFiA Wage Theft committee is working hard to try to resolve several cases where workers have been cheated out of promised wages by local employers.  Current cases involve companies in Bayonne, Leonia, and Hackensack.  Some employers are giving bad checks to the workers, who are then charged a fee by the bank when they try to deposit the check.  Although passing bad checks is clearly a criminal offense, so far the committee has not been able to find a way to press charges against the employers

These cases can be very complicated .  The committee is looking for lawyers experienced in wage  theft issues, as well as bankruptcy and bad check litigation, to assist in this effort.

If you want to help or have suggestions of lawyers who are willing to assist, send us an email at info@communityoffriendsinaction.org.

On Sunday, November 27, 2011, at 4:30 p.m., the Presbyterian Church in Leonia is holding a special Thanksgiving Dinner for members and friends.  Workers who participate in the CoFiA Monday lunch program are especially invited.

CoFiA members and friends are invited to help provide transportation from Palisades Park to the church at 181 Fort Lee Road in Leonia.  For more information, send us an email at info@communityoffriendsinaction.org.

Responding to recent devastating rain storms in Guatemala, CoFiA has joined with a number of local and national Guatemalan groups to raise funds to help the families who have been affected. To contribute to the fund, make checks payable to HAGUA Guatemala Relief Fund, and deposit in any Wells Fargo bank, account number 7269670092.

HAGUA is a 501(c)3 organization and donations are tax-deductible.  The other groups sponsoring the fund are Grupo Quetzal, Stamford, Ct; MIGUA, New York and New Jersey; GUD, Palisades Park, New Jersey; Por Mi Linda Guatemala, Cliffside Park, NJ; Guatemaltecos Unidos en N.J., Fairview, NJ; and CoFiA.

For more information contact Rony Coloma, 201-832-4617 (Spanish or English) or Elias Garcia  201-362-3928 (Spanish)

The recent freak October snow storm left many Bergen County residents needing people to help clean up their properties.  Workers from the CoFiA Workers’ Link program turned out in large numbers to lend willing hands and strong backs. One employer came to the Monday lunch program and asked for help–and by that afternoon the job was done!

She wrote:  “I was so pleased with Mr. S.  He was very quiet but worked slowly and steadily and made a miracle out of the chaos of my property.  He worked all afternoon, and I paid him for the time and a little for dinner. He seemed very pleased.  I drove him home–he lives very close to me.  I took his telephone number and will call him as the leaves continue to fall and I need his service.  I would heartily recommend him.  He is young, clean, quiet, and understands much better than he can respond.  I believe him to be reliable.  He wants to work!  I will call him soon to help me again.  He was terrific!”

To request a worker call CoFiA at 201-598-2253 or fill out the form on this web site.

The Community of Friends in Action provides a free hot lunch every Monday, between November and April, at Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church, Broad and  Homestead Aves, in Palisades Park, for people waiting on the street for work.  Doors open at 11:30 and lunch is served at noon.  On many Mondays we provide programs on topics such as Know Your Rights, Health Care, U.S. immigration policies, How to Open a Bank Account, Avoiding Wage Theft and others.

Volunteers are needed to assist with the lunches or the programs.

Call CoFiA at 201-598-2253 or send an email to us at info@cofia-nj.org.

Mario Andreola

Noted Argentine composer and guitarist

Community of Friends in Action, Inc. invites you to a join us for a benefit concert

Saturday, October 15, 2011, 7:30 p.m.
205 Grand Avenue, Leonia, NJ 07605
Concert followed by a Champagne Reception

Donations for the work of the Community of Friends in Action are requested.

The Community of Friends in Action is a network of concerned citizens working for better immigration policy and to improve the situation of workers in Bergen County.  We are a 501(c)3 organization and donations are tax-deductible.

If you are unable to attend but wish to contribute to the work of the Community of Friends in Action, checks payable to “CoFiA” may be mailed to: P.O. Box 448, 181 Fort Lee Road, Leonia, NJ 07605

Please RSVP by October 10, 2011 to 201-833-1737 or marbwhite@aol.com