About 90 people attended a session sponsored by Princeton Human Services, Latin American Legal Defense and Education Fund (LALDEF), and Unidad Latina en Accion NJ (ULA) at St. Paul Catholic Church on Nassau Street last Thursday night. Seeking information and advice in the wake of recent immigration raids throughout the country, the mix of families and single men attending the meeting were primarily Spanish-speaking immigrants from Latin America.

Through questions and answers and an interactive presentation, mostly in Spanish, participants acquired information about their rights, dos and don’ts, what to do during an ICE (US Immigration Customs Enforcement) raid, the importance of competent legal counseling, and what organizations can help. 

“We had a successful event С great attendance, engaged participants,” said Human Services Executive Director Elisa Neira, “and all were thankful to the group that put the event together.” Individuals received information packets and were encouraged to take additional packets with them to give to relatives, friends, and neighbors, and to discuss what they learned at home as they develop a plan of action in the event of a raid or if they are detained.

Local immigration lawyer Ryan Lilienthal addressed participants’ general questions, including who is at risk of being deported (those with criminal records and those who have arrived in the past two years) and how to find out if one has a deportation order.

“People are scared,” Mr. Lilienthal commented. “It’s reminiscent of the feeling back in 2004 when there were immigration raids in Princeton. The example that sums up the feeling is when we hear about elementary students under stress at school, and they worry about coming home from school and their parents not being there.”

Mr. Lilienthal was pleased with the outcome of Thursday’s session, stating that “the individuals who attended received information and perhaps built skills that allow them to take control over events around them that they don’t otherwise have control over. They are preparing themselves, and the information session helped address that sense of vulnerability that they are feeling.”

Emphasizing the importance of people being informed and feeling comfortable going to the authorities to report crimes and, in the case of children, going to school, Mr. Lilienthal added “the town has taken steps to let immigrants know that they’re welcome in the community, that if they are victims or observers of crimes they can report those crimes to the community without fear, in order to support our criminal justice system.”

Ms. Neira reported that Human Services will continue to work with the schools to address questions and concerns from students or parents and continue to distribute information and updates through the Human Services office, schools and community organizations. Human Services has given a presentation at Princeton High School and is in frequent communication with staff and guidance counselors at local schools.

 Earlier this month, ICE conducted a series of raids in Georgia, Texas, and North Carolina, apprehending 121 individuals and holding them in federal detention centers prior to deportation to their home countries in Central America. There have been unconfirmed reports of recent raids in New Brunswick, Freehold, and Hightstown.

Princeton Police Chief Nick Sutter emphasized that “local law enforcement does not enforce federal immigration laws.”

“What a rich immigrant history Princeton has,” Mr. Lilienthal explained, citing residents from the Scottish immigrant and signer of the Declaration of Independence John Witherspoon all the way up to Albert Einstein. “They’ve done great things in our town, and consequently our town has done great things for our country. In keeping with the town’s history, it’s appropriate to reach out and integrate immigrants into our community.”