In its ongoing efforts to afford Trenton’s immigrant populations the protections and rights that the average citizen enjoys, the City is holding a public signing of a Mayoral Proclamation and a City Council Resolution today, Wednesday, February 26, at 10:00 a.m. at the offices of the Latin American Legal Defense and Education Fund, Inc., 714-716 South Clinton Avenue, Trenton.
The Proclamation, written and to be signed by Mayor W. Reed Gusciora, states in its concluding paragraph, “NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, as the Mayor of the City of Trenton, New Jersey, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and laws of the United States, and along with the Trenton City Council, the City resolves to condemn the inhumane treatment of migrants at immigrant detention facilities; moreover, we call upon federally elected officials, within the federal appropriations process, to cut funding used for border militarization.
The City of Trenton Resolution (20–46), adopted by City Council on February 6, 2020, consists of seven sections (see https://ecode360.com/documents/TR0722/public/530112291.pdf) and is titled “RESOLUTION – CALLING UPON THE WHITE HOUSE AND CONGRESS TO UNIFY MIGRANT FAMILIES, RELEASE THEM FROM DETENTION AND AFFORD THEM DUE PROCESS IN IMMIGRATION.”
NJ Alliance for Immigrant Justice
Established in 2004, LALDEF promotes the rights of all immigrants, with a focus on the Latin American community in the Mercer County area, facilitates access to health care, education and legal representation; advocates for the integration of immigrants; and fosters inter-cultural communication to strengthen our communities. They seek to prevent human rights violations, educate immigrants about their rights and responsibilities, and foster their integration into the civic fabric of our communities. Since 2000, the immigrant population of Mercer County has grown by 50%, ten times as fast as the general population. Today, one out of five county residents is an immigrant. The largest contingent of these immigrants are Latin Americans, who reside largely in and around Trenton. In fact, one in four Trenton residents is foreign-born.
In just 15 years, LALDEF has established itself as the “go-to” organization for reaching out to the Latino community, a community that is indispensable to the vital and diverse life of Trenton and Mercer County. Its office hours are Monday through Thursday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Friday from Noon to 7 pm, and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. LALDEF’s headquarters are located at 714-716 South Clinton Avenue, Trenton, NJ 08611. They can be reached at (609) 688-0881 or https://laldef.org.
