News From The NJ Legislative Latino Caucus


NEW JERSEY LEGISLATIVE LATINO CAUCUS
STATEMENT ON IMMIGRANT ADVISORY PANEL REPORT

(TRENTON) -- New Jersey Legislative Latino Caucus Chairwoman Assemblywoman Nellie Pou (D-Bergen / Passaic) today issued the following statement on the report from the Governor's Blue Ribbon Advisory Panel on Immigrant Policy:

"This report must be the basis for an honest, civil and long-overdue discussion on how to deliver essential services in a way that will improve life for all who call New Jersey home without demonizing or scapegoating our immigrant communities.

"We should seek to deliver services in a culturally competent manner and improve society for everyone.

"One thing is clear -- there are directions in which the Latino Legislative Caucus would like to move but cannot without comprehensive federal policy leading the way.

"But New Jersey can and should do more to help immigrant children who had no role in choosing to come to this country but have nonetheless spent their lives here and attended our public schools.

"Undocumented students who want to continue their education in the state where they grew up and went to high school should no longer be told that they don't count as full members of our Garden State community. New Jersey's most-talented students should have a right to an affordable in-state college education, regardless of their immigration status.

"We're wasting the futures of hundreds of eager students who live in New Jersey and desperately want to earn their college degrees here, get jobs here and give back to their communities.

"New Jersey should join the community of states -- including California, Illinois, New York and Texas -- who allow the children of undocumented immigrants to attend college at in-state tuition rates.

"The Latino Legislative Caucus looks forward to seeing the in-state tuition proposal advance so everyone who has grown up in New Jersey can have equal access to the tools that have given us the nation's best-educated and most-qualified workforce."

"We look forward to seeing the in-state tuition proposal advance so everyone who has grown up in New Jersey can join a better qualified workforce that will help draw businesses to our state and boost economic development.

"New Jersey's rich diversity has always been one of the reasons it is such a great place to call home. Finally, we have a blueprint to help us maximize the positive and vital economic contributions of New Jersey's immigrant community and encourage greater self-sufficiency."