MIL USHOR-2b Engine

Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Paul Tonko (Capital Region New York)

“We must use every tool at our disposal to tackle the climate crisis; that includes removing harmful legacy emissions from our atmosphere,” said Tonko, Ranking Member of the House Subcommittee on Environment. “Our bill takes needed action to address carbon dioxide emissions while also creating good-paying jobs, supporting innovation, and investing in a clean energy economy. I’m proud to join my colleagues in championing this smart, meaningful legislation.”

“The fight against climate change will not succeed without carbon removal.  Our bill would invest in promising carbon removal technologies and help put the planet on a pathway to climate safety,” said Whitehouse, Ranking Member of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee.

“Investing in cutting-edge technology like carbon capture is key to growing our economy and protecting our nation and planet from climate change,” said Coons. “This bicameral bill will ensure the United States is the global leader in carbon capture, protecting our communities and creating jobs.”

This Carbon Dioxide Leadership Act would leverage federal procurement to create a market for carbon dioxide removal.  Specifically, the bill would:

• Require the Department of Energy (DOE) to remove an increasing amount of carbon dioxide using direct air capture or other durable technology-based removal solutions;
• Ensure high standards for measurement, monitoring, reporting, and verifying carbon removals and for robust public engagement;
• Set a declining per-ton price ceiling to incentivize cost reductions over time and give flexibility for DOE to invest in nascent technologies with high potential;
• Create a set-side for newer CDR technologies to promote a broad portfolio of technologies; and
• Prioritize domestic job creation, environmental justice, innovative technologies, and community benefits.

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Andy Biggs (AZ-05)

GILBERT, ARIZONA- Today, Dr. Anthony Fauci appeared before the United States Senate’s Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, where he invoked the Fifth Amendment over 100 times to avoid self-incriminating statements, despite previously receiving a blanket pardon from former President Joe Biden.

Fauci’s lack of transparency and accountability again prove Congressman Biggs right about the former government bureaucrat. Throughout the government’s response to COVID-19 in 2020, Congressman Biggs was at the forefront of highlighting the inconsistencies in Fauci’s statements and opinions, as the bureaucrat’s counsel helped destroy the lives and livelihoods of millions of Americans. Dr. Fauci has also allegedly lied before Congress about the origins of COVID-19 and the research and funding for this virus before it escaped a Wuhan lab and killed many people around the world.

“I was one of the first to question the counsel Dr. Anthony Fauci was giving during the COVID-19 response in 2020, and I have been proven right about him many times over,” said Congressman Biggs. “However, there is no victory lap because millions of American lives and livelihoods were destroyed thanks to Fauci’s insistence on his unscientific opinions. History has already judged Fauci – and will continue to do so in the years to come. The United States should never again fall prey to the lockdown tactics that he and others around him employed and encouraged.”

On May 21, 2020, Congressman Biggs and Senator Rand Paul co-authored an op-ed for The USA Today, entitled, “Anthony Fauci wants America closed until there’s nothing to reopen.” They wrote, “But the answer to America’s problems has rarely been the federal government. Our solutions have been in trusting the American people. Freedom allows us to judge the risk and reward and determine a course we think best. If we feel going to a certain retailer, barber shop, restaurant, or some other business is risky, we have the judgment to decide to not go there. If we want to stay home, we can. In the end, Dr. Fauci, Dr. Birx, and others seek to corral our freedom, just as the American people and many of our elected leaders are finding ways to open our society.”

In April 2020, Congressman Biggs penned an op-ed for the Washington Examiner, entitled, “Get America back to work.” Biggs wrote, “It’s time for a new approach, one that values and protects all life. We must give hope to the public and set forth a plan to reopen the economy and remove oppressive government restrictions. Right now, the cure is proving worse than the disease itself.” This portion of the article was read on the air at the time by the great Rush Limbaugh.

In April 2020, Congressman Biggs was appointed to the Congressional Task Force on Reopening the American Economy, thanks to his relentless efforts to promote freedom from Fauci’s ill-gained advice.

Congressman Biggs was also one of the consistent voices arguing to reopen schools during 2020 and 2021. In a February 2021 piece for the Washington Examiner, entitled, “Let parents, not teachers, decide when children go back to school,” he wrote, “Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has done a great job frustrating the control freaks and alarmists on the Left. He has held the position that parents should make the choice of whether their child should return to in-person education. Every child in Florida has the opportunity to attend school in-person, full-time. And that is the way it ought to be everywhere in the nation.”

###

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Jerrold Nadler (10th District of New York)

Washington, DC – Today, Representatives Jerrold Nadler (NY-12) and Ashley Hinson (IA-02) reintroduced No Surprise Bills for New Moms Act, bipartisan legislation that would ensure parents do not receive unexpected medical bills for their newborns. This bill is co-led by Nanette Barrágan (CA-44) and Brian Fitzpatrick (PA-01).

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Josh Harder (CA-10)

Earlier this month, Harder demanded details on current operations, updates on legally-required identification, warrant orders

WATCH: Rep. Harder’s reaction leaving the Stockton ICE facility

STOCKTON – Today, following ICE’s failure to respond to his letter demanding details on current operations, Rep. Josh Harder (CA-09) conducted an unannounced oversight inspection of the Stockton ICE facility to get in-person answers. Harder first inspected the facility in January, but after a federal judge overturned mandatory scheduling rules, Harder led a surprise inspection of the field office and pressed ICE agents for updates.

“I just conducted a surprise inspection of the Stockton ICE facility to get face-to-face answers to the questions that this agency has been dodging for months, and I’m still outraged at the answers we’re not getting,” said Rep. Harder. “The chaos we’re seeing across the Valley proves that this agency is out of control. That’s why I’m opposing any new funding for ICE, and we’re going to keep up the pressure with more oversight until our families get the answers and the accountability that they deserve.” 

Harder’s demands about ICE operations in the Valley:

• Oversight Inspection – Complete written responses to questions provided in writing and in-person to personnel at the Stockton ICE facility.
• Community Concerns – Past, current, and upcoming enforcement activities, as well as details on access to counsel, food, water, medical care, interpretation services, and accommodations for children during detainments at the local facility.
• Policy Compliance – Current policies used by agents operating out of the Stockton ICE facility regarding unmarked vehicles, activities near schools and other locations used by children, and compliance with legally-required court orders and federally-mandated policies.

Read Harder’s full letter to Acting Director David Venturella here.

Harder has been pushing for reforms at ICE and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for months, including leading successful calls for former Secretary Kristi Noem’s firing. Following her departure, Harder demanded the new Secretary Markwayne Mullin prioritize clear standards for enforcement, bans on face coverings, mandatory identification, new use-of-force policies, and bans on racial profiling. Harder has also continued to oppose any new federal funding for ICE until these reforms are enacted.

###

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Jerrold Nadler (10th District of New York)

New York, N.Y. – Congressman Jerrold Nadler (NY-12), Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer, and Senator Kirsten Gillibrand today sent a letter to Postmaster General David Steiner calling for the immediate cancellation of the planned closure of the Bryant Park Post Office, located at 23 West 43rd Street in Midtown Manhattan, and demanded a full accounting of how and when the U.S. Postal Service made that decision. The Postal Service is planning to close the facility on August 8th. Nadler, Schumer, and Gillibrand wrote that the Postal Service has not made a serious effort to properly inform and engage the public with full transparency or to adequately solicit public input.

“USPS’s unilateral decision to shutter the Bryant Park USPS Station will hurt thousands of New Yorkers, workers, visitors, and small businesses. Every day, the Bryant Park station provides necessary postal services in one of the most prominent economic, cultural, and financial hubs in America, and ripping these services away without any participation from the Bryant Park community is a clear violation of federal regulations,” said Congressman Nadler. “I am glad to be working with Leader Schumer and Senator Gillibrand to hold USPS accountable and protect NY-12’s access to public services.”

“The Bryant Park Post Office is staffed by dedicated postal workers and is a lifeline for Midtown businesses, non-profits and residents, and the Postal Service wants to slam the doors shut without regard for how the closure will impact New Yorkers and without having made a serious attempt to inform and engage the community,” said Senator Schumer. “Federal rules require the Postal Service to fully satisfy a public review process, which I don’t feel they executed adequately. I am telling Postmaster General Steiner to cancel this closure now, come clean about how this decision was made, and let New Yorkers be heard.”

“USPS must immediately reverse its decision to close the Bryant Park Post Office, which will harm the families, workers, and small businesses who rely on the branch’s critical services every day,” said Senator Gillibrand. “By failing to provide the Bryant Park community with public notice or adequate opportunity to give feedback on the closure, the Postal Service violated federal standards and stifled the voices of New Yorkers who deserve a say in their community. I will work with my colleagues to cancel this closure and restore New Yorkers’ access to the public services they need to thrive.”

The representatives said: “The Bryant Park Post Office is a pillar of USPS’s postal services in Midtown Manhattan and beyond, and is one of Midtown Manhattan’s busiest retail post offices, serving millions of New Yorkers, workers, visitors, and small businesses every day.”

Nadler, Schumer, and Gillibrand wrote that closing the facility would mean millions of New Yorkers and visitors see reduced access to retail postal services and increased wait times at nearby post offices, and that small businesses that rely on daily postal services will see services disrupted, leaving lasting harm to the community and the local economy.

Under federal regulations, the Postal Service is required to provide public notice, solicit community input, evaluate local impacts, and consider alternatives before permanently discontinuing a retail facility. Schumer, Gillibrand and Nadler raised concerns that their constituents were not properly informed by the Postal Service of the planned closure and the opportunity for public comment, and that the Postal Service cannot proceed until the mandatory public review process has been fully satisfied and has seriously engaged the community on its plans.

Nadler, Schumer, and Gillibrand demanded answers to a series of questions, including the Postal Service’s full justification for the closure, for how long has USPS known about the potential expiration of the current lease, whether an extension or renewal of the current lease was pursued, what alternatives to closing the Bryant Park Post Office were considered, when the decision was made, when the public was notified and whether the opportunity for public comment was provided, what analysis USPS has conducted regarding impacts the closure may have on the community and employees at the facility, what plans are in place to ensure that the quality and availability of postal services will not be impacted should the closure proceed, and whether and when the Bryant Park Post Office will be relocated.

The letter to Postmaster General Steiner can be found below: 

We write with serious concern regarding the planned closure of the Bryant Park Post Office, located at 23 West 43rd Street, New York, NY 10036. It has come to our attention that the Postal Service is planning to close the Bryant Park Post Office on August 8^th and that in making this determination, the Postal Service has not made a serious effort to properly inform and engage the public with full transparency or to adequately solicit public input. Therefore, we urge you to immediately cancel the planned closure of the Bryant Park Post Office.

The Bryant Park Post Office is a pillar of USPS’s postal services in Midtown Manhattan and beyond. As one of Midtown Manhattan’s busiest retail post offices, the Bryant Park Post Office serves many thousands of New Yorkers, workers, visitors, and small businesses every day. Located in the center of the world’s greatest business, cultural, and financial hub, the Bryant Park Post Office serves to keep the essential public infrastructure of postal services running for Midtown Manhattan. Closing this postal facility would mean that the millions of New Yorkers and visitors will see reduced access to retail postal services and see increased wait times at nearby post offices. Small businesses which rely on daily postal services will see their services disrupted and without reliable postal access. The harm to the community and local economy is clear and negative.

Under federal regulations, the Postal Service is required to provide public notice, solicit community input, evaluate local impacts, and consider alternatives before permanently discontinuing a retail facility. Specifically, pursuant to 39 C.F.R. § 241.3, the public must be given a 60 days’ notice of a proposed closure of a postal facility and be provided an opportunity for public comments.^[1] Regrettably, we are hearing from our constituents that the Postal Service did not properly inform the residents of its plans to close the Bryant Park Post Office and furthermore, failed to seriously engage the community regarding its decision to close this postal facility. This is unacceptable. The Postal Service cannot proceed with its plans to close the Bryant Park Post Office until the public review process under 39 C.F.R. § 241.3 has been fully satisfied.

            We request that you provide written responses to the following questions no later than July 31, 2026:

1. Please provide, in detail, justification for the Postal Service’s decision to close the Bryant Park Post Office.
   1. When does the current lease of the Bryant Park Post Office expire?
   2. For how long (in months, years) has the Postal Service known about the expiration date of the current lease?
   3. For what reason will the current lease of the Bryant Park Post Office expire?

                                                        i.     Is it due to the landlord’s decision to not provide an option to the Postal Service with a lease renewal, or is the Postal Service choosing not to renew the existing lease?

                                                      ii.     Was an extension of the current lease pursued by the Postal Service?

1. If the Postal Service is choosing not to renew the current lease despite the landlord providing an option for a lease renewal, what are the Postal Service’s justifications for doing so?
1. In deciding to close the Bryant Park Post Office, did the Postal Service consider any other alternatives? If so, please list each consideration in detail and the reasons for not pursuing such alternatives.
2. When did the Postal Service make the decision to close the Bryant Park Post Office? Please provide a specific date.
   1. When was the public notified of the Postal Service’s decision to close the Bryant Park Post Office? Please provide a specific date.
   2. Did the Postal Service provide an opportunity for public comment?

                                                        i.     If yes, please provide a specific date of this notice to the public and include documentation of this invitation for public comment.

                                                      ii.     If yes, did the Postal Service provide clear, transparent instructions to the public on how the public can submit input on the proposed closure?

                                                    iii.     If yes, was this notice to the public list a clear deadline for the public to submit input? 

1. Has the Postal Service made any other effort to engage the public and solicit public input?
1. Has the Postal Service conducted an analysis of the expected impacts on the community, employees, and quality of mail delivery services as a result of the proposed closure of the Bryant Park Post Office?
   1. If yes, what will be the impact on the community served? Please provide a detailed description.
   2. If yes, what will be the impact on the employees at the Bryant Park Post Office? Please provide a detailed description.
2. Should the Postal Service proceed with closing the Bryant Park Post Office on August 8, 2026, what are the plans in place to ensure that the postal services are not impacted by the closure of the Bryant Park Post Office? How will the Postal Service ensure that residents, workers, businesses, and visitors will continue to have the same quality and availability of postal services?
3. Should the Postal Service proceed with closing the Bryant Park Post Office, will the Bryant Park Post Office be relocated to another building? If so, what will be the exact timeline?

Thank you for your attention to this important matter. We look forward to hearing your response.

Sincerely,

###

Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Mike Quigley (IL-05)

The Safeguarding Endangered Species Act would overturn the Trump administration’s rule eliminating longstanding protections against habitat destruction that kills or injures imperiled wildlife.

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (1st District of Maine)

Ahead of the Scarborough Town Council’s special meeting Wednesday evening, Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-Maine) sent the Council a letter supporting their proclamation calling for a federal review of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility at 40 Manson Libby Road. In the letter, Pingree urged the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to seriously reconsider whether the facility should continue operating in Scarborough if its presence is undermining public trust and making residents feel less safe.

“The facility at 40 Manson Libby Road has become a symbol of fear, uncertainty, and intimidation for many immigrant families and their neighbors,” Pingree said. “That should concern every one of us.”

In her letter, Pingree emphasized that the Town of Scarborough has every right to question whether continuing to host the ICE facility serves the interests of the community. She called on DHS and ICE to conduct a serious review of the facility’s continued operation and to give meaningful weight to the concerns raised by local residents and elected officials. 

“When a federal facility reaches the point where its very presence undermines the public confidence and leaves residents feeling less safe, the federal government has a responsibility to reconsider if that facility belongs there at all,” she said.

Pingree also reiterated that her office has been conducting aggressive oversight of ICE’s activities in Maine following the fatal shooting of her constituent, Johan Sebastián Durán Guerrero, in Biddeford. She has demanded answers from DHS, called for a transparent investigation, pursued legislative and appropriations oversight, and remains committed to holding the agency accountable to the communities it serves. 

“Federal agencies must carry out their responsibilities in a manner that respects human dignity, civil rights, due process, and the communities in which they operate. When they fail to do so, local communities have not only the right but the responsibility to speak out,” Pingree said.

The full letter is available here and copied below.

Pingree has conducted official oversight visits of ICE facilities in Scarborough, Burlington, Mass., and Dilley, Texas. 

Earlier this month, Pingree sent a letter to DHS Secretary Mullin demanding answers about the fatal shooting of her constituent, Johan Sebastián Durán Guerrero, by ICE officers in Biddeford, Maine, on July 13. 

Pingree also joined the other members of Maine’s Congressional Delegation in sending a letter to Secretary Mullin calling for a comprehensive, transparent, and expedited investigation. In addition, Pingree and Reps. Jayapal (D-Wash.), Garcia (D-Texas), Raskin (D-Md.), and Thompson (D-Miss.) led nearly 200 Members in calling for independent investigations into Lorenzo Salgado Araujo and Johan Sebastian Guerrero’s deaths and demanded that ICE halt removal proceedings against the witnesses.

+++

Dear Council Members,

I write to express my support for your proclamation regarding the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility at 40 Manson Libby Road. I commend the Town Council for giving voice to the significant and growing concerns in Scarborough and across Maine about ICE’s presence in our communities. 

The tragic death of Johan Sebastián Durán Guerrero has profoundly shaken our state. While investigations into the shooting continue, many Mainers are once again confronting a larger and deeply troubling reality: ICE is operating in our communities with no transparency, accountability, or regard for the people who live here. The facility at 40 Manson Libby Road has become a symbol of fear, uncertainty, and intimidation for many immigrant families and their neighbors. That should concern every one of us.

Residents should not have to wonder whether heavily armed enforcement actions will occur in their neighborhoods, whether federal officers are operating under appropriate oversight, or whether a facility in their town is contributing to tactics that erode trust between neighbors and government. This affects whether people feel safe attending school, seeking medical care, reporting crimes, practicing their faith, or simply going about their lives. 

The Town of Scarborough has every right to ask whether continuing to host this facility serves the interests of the community. In my view, that question deserves serious consideration from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). When a federal facility reaches the point where its very presence undermines the public confidence and leaves residents feeling less safe, the federal government has a responsibility to reconsider if that facility belongs there at all. I believe ICE and DHS should undertake a serious review of the continued operation of this facility and proceed in accordance with the community’s wishes. 

Please know that I am exploring every available avenue to address enforcement operations and the continued presence of ICE in Scarborough. My office has been conducting aggressive oversight of ICE’s activities in Maine and demanding answers from DHS regarding the preventable circumstances that led to Mr. Guerrero’s death. I have demanded a transparent and collaborative investigation, pressed the agency to justify its actions, sought greater accountability, and continue to pursue legislative, appropriations, and administration options to challenge policies that undermine public trust. I remain committed to using every tool available to me as a Member of Congress to ensure that federal agencies are accountable to the communities they serve.

Your proclamation appropriately recognizes that the immigration process and community trust are not mutually exclusive. Federal agencies must carry out their responsibilities in a manner that respects human dignity, civil rights, due process, and the communities in which they operate. When they fail to do so, local communities have not only the right but the responsibility to speak out.

Thank you for your leadership and your willingness to stand with the people of Scarborough during these difficult times. I am proud to stand with you, and I will continue working alongside you to pursue every available opportunity to reevaluate the federal government’s continued operation of this facility. 

Sincerely,

###

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Sharice Davids (KS-3)

OVERLAND PARK, KS — Today, Representative Sharice Davids joined Kansans who have benefited from the middle-class tax cuts and cost-saving policies she has supported to highlight her work to lower everyday expenses for working families. While Davids has fought to ensure tax policy delivers real relief for everyday Kansans, extremists in Washington passed a package that only benefits billionaires and wealthy corporations. Davids voted against it.

“At a time when Kansas families are struggling with rising costs, extreme politicians in Washington chose to give massive tax breaks to billionaires and wealthy corporations instead of delivering real relief for working people,” said Davids. “I know firsthand how much every dollar matters — I was raised by a single mom who worked hard to put food on the table and make ends meet. That experience has shaped my commitment to fighting for policies that lower costs for working families and make sure tax cuts go to the Kansans who need it most — not just those at the very top.”

WATCH: Davids hosts press conference with Kansans benefiting from tax policies she supports

The press conference featured Kansans who shared how tax cuts have made a meaningful difference in their lives, including savings on healthcare, energy bills, and the everyday costs of raising a family. Speakers included:

• Crystal Henry (Start Young Manager at Futures First): discussed how the Child Tax Credit helped her family afford everyday expenses and support her two children.
  • “The Child Tax Credit has allowed me as a single parent to have a little breathing room in my budget. Every dollar counts as groceries and gasoline costs rise, and the child tax credit came in time to get us through the summer. I am grateful that Rep. Davids is always fighting to lower costs for families like mine,” said Crystal Henry.

• Eileen Spickler (retiree and healthcare advocate): shared how Affordable Care Act enhanced premium tax credits helped make health coverage more affordable and provided financial security. 

• Malcolm Proudfit (Chief Executive Officer at Good Energy Solutions, Inc.): discussed how clean energy tax credits through the Inflation Reduction Act helped make solar and energy efficiency upgrades more affordable for Kansas homeowners and families. 
  • “Investments in solar systems can help homeowners to reduce their carbon footprint and ease the burden on their wallets. Clean Energy Tax Credits in the IRA made these investments possible for many working class families who could not have afforded them otherwise. We live in a time where we need more electricity production than ever, and these types of credits help solar systems to come online and ease the burdens placed on our electrical grid,” said Malcolm Proudfit.

The press conference comes as many Kansas households continue reporting financial pressure due to rising inflation and reckless policy decisions in Washington that only favor billionaires. The average family is paying more than $2,500 extra this year due to tariffs and is expected to spend about $740 more on gas. In the past year, residential electricity prices have risen by 13 percent nationally, and families have paid more than $300 more for groceries.

Davids discussed her work to lower costs for Kansans, including efforts to cap insulin at $35 for seniors, lower prescription drug prices through Medicare negotiation, expand affordable housing supply, strengthen Kansas agriculture and local food systems, support year-round E15 fuel access to lower prices at the pump, and extend Affordable Care Act tax credits that help families afford health coverage. She also highlighted her opposition to reckless tariffs and extreme Medicaid cuts that are closing rural hospitals and increasing healthcare costs for Kansas families.

Davids was raised by a single mom who served in the Army for 20 years. She knows what it’s like to struggle to put food on the table, stretch every dollar, and make difficult choices between paying for groceries, healthcare, gas, or rent. That experience continues to shape her focus on lowering costs for working families and making sure everyday people — not just billionaires and large corporations — have a fair shot at getting ahead.

Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Sean Casten (IL-06)

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Frank Pallone (6th District of New Jersey)

RED BANK, N.J. — New Jersey now ranks eighth in the nation for immigration arrests, with arrests increasing 159 percent since President Donald Trump’s return to office, according to the Deportation Data Project. Against that backdrop, Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-06) today convened the Deputy Mayor of Red Bank, Kate Triggiano, and immigrant rights organizations to discuss the impact of expanded ICE enforcement under the Trump administration, deplorable conditions inside Newark’s Delaney Hall ICE detention facility, and the congressional oversight and legislative actions he is pursuing to rein in ICE.

The discussion focused on the recent increase in immigration enforcement across New Jersey, deplorable conditions inside Delaney Hall, the Know Your Rights resources available to immigrants and their families, and the billions of dollars Republicans in Congress recently approved to supercharge Trump’s ICE operations. Congressman Pallone also stressed the need to reform our immigration system that provides a pathway to citizenship.

“The dramatic increase in immigration arrests of hardworking people under President Trump is tearing apart families and communities across New Jersey. Every American deserves to know their rights, and Congress must hold this administration accountable,” Pallone said. “My visits to Delaney Hall have uncovered serious concerns about how people are being treated and whether basic human standards are being met. Republicans should not be giving President Trump’s ICE your tax dollars. I will continue fighting for an immigration system that upholds due process, keeps families together and treats everyone with dignity while providing a pathway to citizenship.”

The roundtable included Deputy Mayor of Red Bank, Kate Triggiano, and representatives from the New Jersey Alliance for Immigrant Justice, Make the Road New Jersey, the ACLU of New Jersey, the National Day Laborer Organizing Network, CASA Freehold, Cosecha, American Friends Services Committee, Pax Christi, La Casa de Don Pedro, Ironbound Community Corporation, and New Labor.

PHOTOS OF THE ROUNDTABLE MAY BE DOWNLOADED HERE.

“As ICE continues to brutalize our communities, New Jersey must take every available action to hold the Trump administration accountable,” said Ami Kachalia, Senior Policy Strategist for the ACLU of New Jersey. “We’re grateful for Rep. Pallone’s leadership in ensuring our state does all it can to protect all people from the Trump administration’s abuses of power.”

“In the Ironbound, I watch children go to school each morning terrified they’ll return to an empty house. Mothers memorize escape routes instead of helping with homework. This is what happens when we let fear replace humanity. We must create pathways to citizenship that honor the most basic truth: families belong together. When you rip a parent from their child, you don’t just break one family you shatter an entire community’s soul,” said Hazel Applewhite, Ironbound Community Corporation.

“New Labor recognizes the profound impact that ongoing immigration enforcement policies have on working-class families across the United States. ICE has made our communities and workplaces less safe, separating families, undermining workers’ rights, and creating fear that prevents people from reporting abuse, wage theft, and unsafe working conditions. We recognize ICE as a threat to worker safety, dignity, and collective power. New Labor is committed to exploring and implementing strategies that empower immigrant workers, build resilient communities, and ensure every worker can exercise their rights without fear of detention or retaliation. We recognize that achieving these goals requires addressing the systems that perpetuate fear and exploitation. New Labor believes that abolishing ICE is an essential step toward creating communities where all workers can live, organize, and work with safety, dignity, and justice,” said Amanda M. Domínguez, Community Organizer & Language Program Coordinator, New Labor. 

“Immigrant families across New Jersey are living under a level of fear this state has never seen, and that fear is eroding their trust in the schools, hospitals, and public safety they depend on. It is the product of a the detention and deportation regime that stress-tests every constitutional protection we have,” said Dante Apaéstegui, Federal Policy and Advocacy Strategist with New Jersey Alliance for Immigrant Justice. “Warrantless raids, force against protesters and lawmakers, inhumane detention conditions, pressure to commandeer our state and local police—New Jersey has become the proving ground. We are grateful to Congressman Pallone for demanding solutions that protect our communities and hold this administration to account.”

“We thank Congressman Pallone for convening this roundtable discussion on the state of immigration. One in four New Jerseyans is an immigrant. The Trump administration sees our diversity as an opportunity to surveil, detain and deport our communities to accomplish it’s racist anti-immigrant agenda,” said Viri Martinez, Legislative & Political Action Manager with Make the Road New Jersey. “That is why we will continue to fight for state and federal policies that protect us, not disappear us.”

 “At Casa Freehold, we believe that open dialogue is crucial for fostering understanding and collaboration within our community. This round table serves as an invaluable opportunity to engage with diverse voices, share experiences, and collectively address the challenges facing immigrants today. Together, we can build a more inclusive and supportive environment for all,” said Dolly Hernandez, Executive Director, Casa Freehold.

###