Dear Rutgers University – Newark community members,
Today, we are seeing the Rutgers family at its very best, coming together across place and identity to stand resolutely in support of one another because some of us feel threatened. This determination is nowhere stronger than right here at Rutgers University – Newark, where we work, every day, to learn what it really means to be inclusive, in our classrooms, libraries and labs, in our residence halls, and in the spaces where we come together to collaborate with community partners. We say with utter clarity and conviction to the members of our community who are undocumented: we stand with you and we remain unwavering in our commitment to continue to do so.
The person-to-person support we give each other is absolutely critical to maintain at a time like this, as well as the avenues we have established to bring our university’s resources to bear on supporting undocumented students. As a reminder to all members of our community, these are some of those vital means of support.
- Students will find an extensive listing of support information on MyRUN at https://myrun.newark.rutgers.edu/resources-undocumented-students. It includes university-based resources addressing academic, financial, legal, health, and social support both on and off campus.
- In its ongoing effort to support immigrant students throughout Rutgers, the University has created the Rutgers Immigrant Community Assistance Project (RICAP). RICAP is led by attorney, Jason Hernandez, who has more than five years’ experience working in a refugee resettlement and immigration legal service non-profit organization in Philadelphia, PA. All students currently enrolled at Rutgers are eligible for a free and confidential legal consultation with Jason. Jason will be in Newark on Wednesday, September 6th and regularly throughout the academic year. Students are encouraged to stop by and meet Jason to ask any brief questions about DACA and to schedule their individual consultations. Jason has an office in Newark in the law clinic suite on the 4th floor of the Center for Law and Justice, 123 Washington Street. Jason's phone number is 856-225-2302. He also can be reached by email at jason.c.hernandez@rutgers.edu
Collectively, we in the leadership of Rutgers—President Barchi and Chancellors Dutta, Haddon, Strom, and I—have made plain how we will continue to assure educational opportunity for undocumented students and how we will marshal efforts for the Rutgers community to advocate for just federal legislation to codify that opportunity. I invite all of you in the Rutgers-Newark community to join us in these efforts to make that case.
- Look for further communication regarding advocacy for legislation to secure the future of Dreamers, as described in the message from President Barchi and the Rutgers Chancellors, as well as information from Rutgers-Newark student leaders about local organizing to support our undocumented students.
- Make the Road NJ works on numerous fronts for dignity and justice for undocumented immigrants through community organizing, legal and support services, transformative education and policy innovation, including ways for all community members to get involved (http://www.maketheroadnj.org/).
- The National Immigration Law Center website (https://www.nilc.org/issues/daca/) contains extensive up-to-the-minute information about DACA, advocacy, and general advice and support information for undocumented students.
- The American Friends Service Committee (https://www.afsc.org/) provides avenues for legislative advocacy and leveraging social media to spread messages of support for undocumented students.
We in the Rutgers-Newark community have found inspiration in the moral underpinning of what it means to be a “neighbor” articulated by the late Newark Rabbi Joachim Prinz when he spoke just before Martin Luther King, Jr. at the March on Washington 54 years ago. As our hearts ache today for all of those among us whose identities have been denigrated as a wave of hatred has risen in our nation, we may also find in Prinz’ words inspiration to act. He said that in the face of bigotry and hatred, “the most urgent, the most disgraceful, the most shameful and the most tragic problem is silence.” Let us resolve, then, to speak up together with one voice in this moment, declare loudly our commitment to liberty and justice, and move closer to genuinely being the land of opportunity that we aspire to be.
In solidarity,
Nancy Cantor
Chancellor
