Solidaridad Central Jersey Volunteers Note That Asylum Seekers are Our Neighbors
To the Editor:
We hear a lot of talk against immigrants and immigration these days, but too often we fail to remember that, many times, people come to this country seeking refuge from violence and persecution. They have a right to apply for asylum, in accordance with UN Conventions and U.S. law, but there is little assistance available to help them navigate a complex system of rules and forms to seek asylum. Many are desperately looking for a better, safer life for themselves and their children; they contribute to our communities, filling important gaps in employment and adding the richness of their cultures to our lives.
The recent ICE raid in Princeton reminds us that a number of Solidaridad volunteers first came together six years ago, in response to a series of pre-dawn raids at immigrant neighbors’ homes. We are grateful that our elected representatives spoke out against the most recent action and that community members mobilized to ensure that our neighbors in Princeton knew their rights.
In our own efforts to do something concrete to help immigrant neighbors fleeing persecution, Solidaridad began to develop expertise in helping neighbors apply for asylum through a Pro Se Clinic. Required within one year of arrival, applying for asylum is a first step in obtaining relief from the fear of deportation and leads to the ability to apply for a work permit to work legally, while awaiting a decision on their asylum claim.
Solidaridad initiated our first Pro Se Clinic in early 2020, at a Princeton church, and has been able to expand our ability to provide this help county-wide online, assisting over 300 individuals since then. Volunteers from many walks of life and a range of careers, experience, and expertise, including several consulting attorneys, have made this possible. Some are retired, some actively employed, some students, some bilingual, some not. Some of us are moved to do this work because our parents or grandparents found refuge in this country long ago or more recently; others, by our sense of social justice and compassion.
But we need more volunteers, especially persons able to interview neighbors seeking asylum who have likely experienced trauma, and persons fluent in Spanish/English to interpret. Our Pro Se Clinic is team-based, fully virtual and involves just a one-hour commitment each week.
I can’t tell you how rewarding it is to help a neighbor make their asylum claim and begin to find safety and security. We invite Princeton community members to visit our website to learn more and to consider joining an upcoming orientation on October 8, as posted at solidaridadcentraljersey.org.