Menendez, Booker, Pallone Lead Call for DHS to Halt Deportation of Indonesian Christians in NJ

Press Release

U.S. Senators Bob Menendez and Cory Booker and Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (N.J.-06) today sent a letter to Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas requesting Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) prevent the detainment and deportation of a group of Indonesian Christians in New Jersey. Central New Jersey is home to a thriving community of Christian Indonesians who settled in New Jersey after fleeing religious persecution.

"We urge the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to take immediate action to prevent Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) from detaining and deporting this group of New Jersey residents who arrived here decades ago as refugees fleeing religious persecution in their home country. For nearly 30 years, these Christian refugees have raised families, bought homes, attended church services, and volunteered countless hours to aid neighbors," the lawmakers wrote. "These New Jerseyans exemplify the best qualities of our state. Their ability to continue living and working safely in New Jersey is critical to the well-being of their U.S. citizen children and to the benefit of their church communities and neighbors they serve."
The letter was cosigned by Reps. Tom Malinowski (N.J.-07), Bill Pascrell, Jr. (N.J.-09), Albio Sires (N.J.-08), Mikie Sherrill (N.J.-11), Bonnie Watson Coleman (N.J.-12), and Andy Kim (N.J.-03)

In 2009, members of the community entered into an agreement with ICE that permitted them to live and work in the United States without fear of deportation if they remained exceptionally low enforcement priorities. During the Trump Administration, ICE revoked the conditions of the agreement and unnecessarily detained and deported members of the community. So far, ICE has refused to make any assurances that it will not seek to do the same in the Biden Administration.

"Although the Trump administration's extreme anti-immigrant agenda may be behind us, we must ensure that the Biden administration ends the injustices that remain. That means respecting the constitutional rights, safety, and dignity of our clients in New Jersey's Indonesian Christian community, and all communities," said ACLU-NJ Executive Director Amol Sinha. "We're grateful for New Jersey's congressional delegation for taking a stand to protect a community that's so important to the fabric of New Jersey, especially when any immigration enforcement action against them would be at odds with the federal government's stated immigration priorities. At a time when Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders face heightened threats to their safety, the federal government should not compound their fear with the specter of detention and deportation. Members of this community face persecution and a risk of death if deported to Indonesia, and we ask the federal government to safeguard their well-being, as our laws, our Constitution, and our values demand."

Source