NEWS

The American Friends Service Committee is looking for four interns for summer, 2016, from June 3 to August 5. Each position pays $2467.50 with about 21 hours per week required. College or graduate students or high school graduates or people with GEDs are sought. Bilingual. Deadline for application is Friday, February 5. Please see the links below for full information on each position. CoFiA can help with applications. Please spread the information around as much as possible.

Healing Justice – Prison Watch – http://afsc.org/internship/healing-justice-program-newark-nj

Healing Justice – Voter Education and Registration – http://afsc.org/internship/voter-education-and-registration-positions

Immigrant Rights – Detention Project – http://afsc.org/internship/immigrant-rights-detention-project-internship

Immigrant Rights – Advocacy and Organizing – http://afsc.org/internship/advocacy-and-organizing-intern-immigrant-rights

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CoFiA is offering programs on KNOW YOUR RIGHTS during the regular Monday lunches, organized by Sayda Tuanama, Margaret White, and Elias Garcia. On January 11, Brian Lozano of Wind of the Spirit, offered a useful overview of what to do if ICE comes to your door. On February 8, Alex Goncalves-Pena of the American Friends Service Committee (AFSCF) will discuss with the workers some of the legal issues involved in the current series of raids on immigrant communities. She is the supervising attorney in the Newark AFSC office and will have specific up-to-the-minute advice.

People in the immigrant community are terrified of the possible impact of the latest series of raids. We have not yet heard of any families in our area that have directly been affected, but rumors are rampant, and the fear is powerful.

The lunch program is open to anyone. Presentations are made in Spanish but if there are English-only speakers who want to understand what is going on some of our talented bilingual members can translate.

 

On Friday, January 30, from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., a fair for undocumented students will be held in Ackerson Hall on the Rutgers-Newark campus. Last year’s fair was filled to capacity with more than 200 “unauthorized” immigrants and their families.

This year students from Rutgers University School of Law will also give a presentation on legal issues. The fair is for Dreamers–those students who do not have papers but can apply to stay in the country temporarily under the federal Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals measure signed by President Obama in 2012. In New Jersey, Gov. Chris Christie signed legislation, called the N.J. Dream Act, that allowed Dreamers to pay in-state tuition at New Jersey’s public colleges and universities. Gov. Christie has opposed granting state financial aid to these students.

Students can register for the college fair at admissions.rutgers.edu/undocu. Information from nj.com, kheyboer@njadvancemedia.com

CoFiA applauds the Supreme Court’s decision to review United States v. Texas, the case that temporarily blocked a key portion of President Obama’s executive action. If the decision is favorable, it would expand the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, which allows “Dreamers”–young people who immigrated to the U.S. as children–to live and work in the U.S. legally. It would also extend that permission to millions of undocumented parents of U.S. citizens and legal permanent residents (DAPA).

This is a crucial case that directly affects the lives of some estimated four million people–including many who are part of CoFiA. It’s not the answer to the humane immigration laws that we need, but it would help keep families together and reduce some of fear immigrant families are living with.

CoFiA’s winter coat drive,carried out with the Leonia Public Library and the Rotary Club of the Palisades, resulted in more than 130 coats plus hats, scarves, gloves and sweaters. In addition to CoFiA the items were distributed to the Church on the Green in Hackensack for their ministry to homeless men; and the women’s clothing to a halfway house in Irvington, NJ. Also for the first time this year we are seeing a greater need for clothing for children.

Carolyn Sobering, past-chair of CoFiA, manages this important activity. The drive will continue until sometime in March. Specially needed for CoFiA are small and medium coats and jackets suitable for work as well as heavy gloves and warm hats. Donations can be brought to the Leonia Public Library on Fort Lee Road in Leonia and placed in the coat drive donation box.

Members of the CoFiA Board will have an informal potluck dinner and conversation on Friday, January 29, 2016, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., at Ellie Spiegel’s house, 187 Leonia Ave., Leonia. We will take a break from the wintry weather and discuss where we are as an organization and where we want to go.

Although this is primarily for the Board, anyone who is interested is welcome to attend. Just let us know you are coming and what you want to contribute to the dinner and to the discussion.

On Monday, January 11, 2016, Brian Lozano of Wind of the Spirit gave a presentation on Know Your Rights to the more than 65 guests and volunteers at the Monday lunch program. Members of the migrant community are feeling anxious because of the rumors of ICE raids all over the country. Brian presented facts about who may be at risk of being arrested by ICE, including Legal Permanent Residents (LPR) with prior convictions, even if the conviction is from years ago; the case was a misdemeanor or minor; and the person has been an LPR for a long time. Another group that may be vulnerable are undocumented people with prior infractions or convictions.

Brian gave clear factual information on what to do if ICE comes to the door. Such raids are frequently carried out early in the morning when people are still sleeping, but may be any time of day and in any place. Participants in the seminar were advised not to open the door but to ask the officers if they have a search warrant signed by an actual judge. If the agents come into the home, they are not legally allowed to search the home or belongings without permission.

Brian gave many other tips on how to react in such situations, as well as the address and phone number of the Immigrant Defense Project (immigrantdefenseproject.org) 212-725-6422, which can assist.

CoFiA plans an ongoing series of Know Your Rights Programs in the next few weeks. These are frightening times for the immigrant community, and it is important for all of us to know what can be done to make things a little better. Many thanks to Wind of the Spirit for providing this excellent program.

On Sunday, January 10, 2016, CoFiA was awarded a generous gift from the Ethical Culture Society of Bergen County. Past-chair Carolyn Sobering accepted the donation from Daniel Rosenblum of the Society. The organization also raised money to provide warm winter clothing for the workers; especially welcome were two new jackets. These were included in the raffle we held at our holiday lunch. Much needed and much appreciated!

Thank you, Ethical Culture!

 

On December 28 the Monday lunch program featured tamales from a local Guatemalan restaurant–always a big hit with the guests!–and a small raffle. We had donations of a couple of brand new jackets, 30 packets of toiletries, 30 packages of new socks, an ultimate frisbee, and more. Everybody got something! The guests enjoyed a time to get together with friendly folks, meet some new people, and relax in a warm place.

http://www.democracynow.org/2016/1/8/18_ex_military_guatemalan_leaders_arrested
(If the link does not work, please copy and paste into your browser.)

Currently (January, 2016) the news is full of raids by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Service (ICE) of places where people suspected of not having documents may be. The Obama administration and ICE have issued various statements as to the priorities for these raids. However, these priorities do not seem to be real, in practice.

The transcript of the Democracy Now program of January 8, 2016, gives excellent insight into who the people are who have come from the Central American countries, Guatemala in particular, and why they have come. Presenting an in-depth analysis of the reasons why 18 ex-military Guatemalan leaders have been arrested, and the horrors they were involved in committing against the Guatemalan people during the decades-long U.S.-backed dirty war against Guatemala’s indigenous people, the piece provides stark documentation of why people continue to flee.

Some six months ago the Guatemalan people rose up against their corrupt leaders and forced both the Vice-President and the President from office. However, holdovers from the former regime are still in place in the government of the current president, Jimmy Morales. Morales is continuing the slashing of minimum wage in maquiladora (manufacturing) areas, an action closely linked to the climate of terror that continues to exist. When there is terror, people flee, which is happening now. According to the segment,”If you go and burn down your neighbor’s house, don’t complain when, as they run from the flames, they come onto your lawn.”

We are seeing many of the people running from the flames, even as ICE is trying to drive them back into the fire.

Abstracted from a Democracy Now! program on January 8, 2016, with Amy Goodman and Allan Nairn, an investigative journalist who has worked on Guatemalan issues for decades.