Immigration Policy Forum – Panel I: New Jersey and Inclusion Initiatives, Then and Now (4/26/19) Immigration Policy Forum – Keynote by The Hon. Gurbir Grewal, NJ Attorney General (4/26/19) Immigration Policy Forum – Panel II: The Future of Immigrant Youths in New Jersey (4/26/19) Immigration Policy Forum – Panel III: Towards More Inclusive State and Local Policies (4/26/19)
Alexis Torres Machado (a.k.a. ATM) the author of the song “For My Immigrants,” is an undocumented immigrant from Uruguay. He is currently a DACA recipient and is a theater major and senior at Rutgers University-Newark. He found out he was undocumented at a very young age, like most children. He worked in collaboration with Newest Americans, who knew the song “ha[d] the potential to become an anthem for undocumented youth across the country,” as stated on their website. The music video rallied friends and family of ATM to be in the video with him. They include Marisol Conde-Hernandez, a Rutgers […]
This week, the Center for Immigration Law, Policy and Justice held its first Citizenship Class in collaboration with the New-York Historical Society, New York’s first museum. We were able to reach out to the Rutgers community and the greater Newark community, so its residents would benefit from these classes. There was a students, from Mexico all the way to China and from young adults attending college to older adults with established careers. The mix of people in the class reflects the make up of this country. The New-York Historical Society takes a historical approach to the classes. They not only […]
On February 7, 2019, the Center for Immigration Law, Policy and Justice, in co-sponsorship with the Asian Pacific American Lawyers Association of New Jersey (APALA-NJ) and Rutgers-Newark APALSA held a Film Screening of Abacus: Small Enough to Jail. In the wake of 2008 financial crisis, Abacus Federal Savings Bank was the only bank criminally indicted and accused of mortgage fraud by the District Attorney of Manhattan, Cyrus R. Vance Jr. Abacus catered to the Chinese immigrant community, and was founded by Thomas Sung, who migrated at the age of 16 to the United States, attended law school, and eventually moved […]
In celebration of Black History Month, the Rutgers Center for Immigration Law, Policy and Justice, and Association of Black Law Students (ABLS) hosted a lecture by speaker Professor Martha Jones from John Hopkins University, along with further comments by Professor Elise Boddie. This lecture, which drew a standing room, enlightened audiences with the origins and struggle for birthright citizenship in the United States. Under the Citizenship Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment, a person acquires birthright citizenship based on being born in the United States. Professor Jones’s book, Birthright Citizen, offers a new historical perspective on how free African Americans fought […]
It’s Black History Month! In celebration of this important month, the Center for Immigration Law, Policy and Justice and the Association of Black Law Students will host a lecture by Professor Martha Jones, Ph. D. on Wednesday, February 6th, from 12:15 pm to 1:15 pm. Professor Jones will discuss her book, Birthright Citizens: A History of Race and rights in Antebellum America. Professor of Law, Elise Boddie, a former director of litigation for the NAACP Legal Defense & Educational Fund will provide comments with her expertise in constitutional law. Birthright Citizens explores the triumphs of African American activist […]
Rutgers University Center for Immigration Law, Justice and Policy held their last community event of the semester with Ravi Ragbir. This event was split up into two parts. In both parts, Ravi opens the audience to a conversation on ICE’s mistreatment of immigrant rights and the appropriate reaction towards that. The first part was a presentation, discussing the current affairs regarding immigrant rights and answering questions from the audience. The second part of the event consisted of Sanctuary Coalition training, in which Ravi discusses actions and strategies to take in creating or strengthen a Sanctuary community. The event began with […]
On Wednesday, October 10, 2018, the Center for Immigration Law, Policy and Justice (CILPJ) held a panel titled, Colloquium of Sanctuary: “Providing Sanctuary for Immigrant Families”. The event was well attended by students, faculty, staff, and members of the community. Professor Villazor provided opening remarks and introduced the Center’s two fellows Alma Godinez-Navarro and Melgily Valdez. Marco Antonio Castillo from Red de Pueblos Nacionales/Global Exchange spoke about his experience reuniting families who have spent years away from each other even when tragedy strikes. His organization provides resources and support to families in Mexico who would like to visit their family […]
The Center of Immigration Law, Policy, and Justice held its inaugural event of The Colloquium on Sanctuary: “The Silent Deception of Newark’s “Sanctuary” Status”, on September 26, 2018. This interdisciplinary lecture series will examine the cultural and political meaning of “sanctuary laws” policies and practices. The event, “The Silent Deception of Newark’s “Sanctuary” Status” focused specifically on Professor Mary Rizzo’s and Professor Whitney Strubb’s research and advocacy regarding the detention of Immigrants in county jails in Newark, New Jersey. Both Professor Rizzo and Professor Strubb have publically shed light on the nature of Newark’s contradictory self-proclaimed “Sanctuary Status” which houses […]
The newly established Center for Immigration Law, Policy, and Justice launched this semester’s series of events with a well-attended screening of “The Chinese Exclusion Act” a documentary film by Ric Burns and Li-Shin Yu. The film examined the 1882 law that prohibited Chinese workers from coming to America and precluded Chinese nationals already in the country from obtaining U.S. Citizenship. The film also discussed stereotypes and the cultural atmosphere in the US surrounding the enactment of the act. Following the film, a panel discussion led by Dean David Lopez, Professor Sahar Aziz, and Professor Rose Cuison Villazor, unpacked the contemporary […]