This summary was featured in Documented’s Early Arrival newsletter. You can subscribe to receive it in your inbox three times per week here.
On Wednesday, immigration advocates announced a new policy platform to push New Jersey lawmakers to block new federal detention contracts and put limits on law enforcement cooperation with immigration authorities. This campaign came in conjunction with a new study from the New Jersey Policy Perspective, which analyzed U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement data through public records requests. Vineeta Kapahi, a policy analyst for NJPP, said over 15,000 immigrants were ordered for deportation in the last five years. It takes close to three years for a court to make a deportation decision and the average cash bail for immigrants is $12,000, the data showed. New Jersey 101.5
In other local immigration news…
Immigrant Labor in New York Under the Pandemic
Documented will be hosting a panel discussion Wednesday, March 31 to talk about how the pandemic has affected low wage jobs and the City’s immigrant essential workers. Amir Khafagy, a freelance journalist who covers labor issues for Documented will moderate the panel. Panelists are:
Nelson Mar, President of Local 318 Restaurant Workers Union, who represents workers from the infamous Jing Fong restaurant located in Manhattan’s Chinatown.
Sarah Ahn of the Flushing Workers Center
Rosanna Aran of the Laundry Workers Center
Register here to join our free Zoom event on Wednesday, March 31 at 4:30 p.m.
Delivery Workers Organize To Fight Rampant E-Bike Theft
📍 Documented Original Anthony Chavez is one of many food delivery workers in New York City who relies on an electronic bike to help him complete his deliveries. But he has gotten his e-bike stolen twice in the span of a year, and he has been financially responsible for replacing it. Throughout the pandemic, more workers have faced armed assailants who steal their e-bikes. Delivery workers are hesitant to get police involved in these robberies due to language barriers or the fear of ending up in immigration proceedings that could lead to deportation. These thefts are one of the many reasons delivery workers are organizing to communicate, self police and make demands to better their situation. Read more at Documented.
Dominican Leaders Dominate Bronx Special Election
Thousands of absentee ballots still have to be counted in this week’s special elections in the Bronx, where some candidates got huge donations to help their campaigns. But so far, it looks like Dominican candidates are leading the results. Oswald Feliz, endorsed by major Dominican elected leaders in the 15th District, had 973 first-choice votes, 235 votes ahead of Ischia Bravo. Mino Lora, a Dominican immigrant, meanwhile is 1,164 in-person votes short against Eric Dinowitz, who received PAC money, for the 11th District. But she plans on running again. These Dominican candidates reflect a growing power for the fastest-growing Latino community in the city. THE CITY
