NJ Pastors Field Hundreds of calls from terrified immigrants in the midst of ice raids

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The shepherds have been sending hundreds of panic telephone calls of terrified immigrants in New Jersey since the Trump administration launched raids in ICE, according to Reverendo Bolívar Flores.

Flores is vice president of the coalition of Latin pastors and ministers of New Jersey, which includes 472 churches in New Jersey. He says many calls came from moms.

At a press conference from the Jersey City coalition on Thursday, Flores said that the Immigration and Customs Compliance agents arrested immigrants who worshiped in a church in Elizabeth on Sunday and now people fear to assist.

The coalition announced a new direct line, 551-255-5500, to offer legal advice and support.

A flood of executive orders of the Trump administration has caused chaos not only among defenders who help undocumented immigrants.

Refugees feel threatened

Ten agencies with the refugee resettlement program received a cessation and withdrawal order last Friday. Its federal financing is now waiting while investigators determine whether their mission is consistent with President Trump’s agenda.

It is an ideological fire test with financial consequences, says Pastor Seth Kaper-Dale of Interfaith-Rise.

“Great non -profit organizations like ours, when there is uncertainty about financing, we cannot endure for a long time …”, he explained.

Kaper-Dale said that his non-profit organization based in the church in Highland Park has just fired 20% of his staff, and is worried about paying $ 134,000 per month to rent 67 apartments for newly arrived refugees. He says that other refugees who have settled, put their children at school and that the jobs feel deeply threatened.

“Now they have fears of whether their documentation, which was absolutely legal, will be legal in a couple of weeks as the president slides to humanitarian probation programs and TPS (temporary protected state) and all other forms of protection. Then cruelty reaches all angles, ”he said.

Kaper-Dale said the defenders met with Senate Democrats in Trenton on Thursday to ask the State to try provisional funds while working to recover federal support.

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