For Immediate Release: September 16, 2024

Contact: Kimberly Jones-Wise | 732-713-3238 | kimberly@faithinnewjersey.org

Ana Paola Pazmiño | 848-219-3489 | appazmino@resistenciaenaccionnj.org 

Haitian Migrants Deserve Dignity and Congressional Champions from New Jersey

EAST ORANGE – Faith in New Jersey and Resistencia en Accíon New Jersey strongly condemn the false and dangerous allegations against Haitian migrants spread by Senator JD Vance and echoed by former President Donald Trump. We urgently call on all New Jersey members of Congress to stand up and champion the dignity and rights of our Haitian siblings.

It is abhorrent to know that Senator Vance, a person seeking one of the highest political offices in this country, would purposely wield false stories, according to his own admission, to shift the focus of American media. These xenophobic and anti-Black false claims are now central to the Trump-Vance campaign’s electoral strategy, blatantly displayed during last week’s Presidential debate. The dehumanization of Haitians with a global microphone in this Presidential electoral cycle places Haitian lives at risk, as we have seen with the influx of bomb threats in Springfield, Ohio.

Charlene Walker, Executive Director, Faith in New Jersey, said, “Although New Jersey is home to the 4th largest population of Haitian residents in the country, their plight is often not championed by all of our electeds and they, like most Black immigrants, are erased from the immigrant justice fight by the media. Haitians bear the brunt of inhumane immigrant policies due to anti-Blackness that is a foundation in the US’s immigration policies. It feels as though the U.S. punishes Haitians specifically because of the brilliance and bravery of their ancestors who fought for and won their freedom. As people of moral conscience, we will not stand idly by while our siblings have a target placed on their backs by the Trump/Vance campaign. Instead, we continue our commitment to build statewide Haitian power through our Faith Over Fear civic engagement plan. We stand with all of our Haitian siblings and continue our community organizing for policies that support Haitian migrants and the independence of Haitians within Haiti without US interference.”

Ana Paola Pazmiño, Executive Director, Resistencia en Accion NJ, said, “An attack on one group of immigrants is an attack on all immigrants. We stand in unwavering solidarity with the Haitian immigrant community, who have been dehumanized by right-wing media narratives led by politicians like JD Vance and Donald Trump. Here in New Jersey, we have witnessed the risk that these false allegations of eating pets in Ohio puts on Haitian community members who are expressing concern on the stigma that this puts on them. As an organization, we are ready to say, no more lies on immigration because immigrants make up more than 30% of the labor force in New Jersey.”

We fully support the National Haitian American Elected Officials Networks (NHAEON) in their call for legislation that holds accountable those who spread misinformation and prevents hate speech, hate crimes, and threats of violence against Haitian communities. We urge members of the New Jersey Congressional delegation to lead in this moment by introducing and championing this legislation.

As organizations committed to our people, Resistencia en Accíon NJ and Faith in New Jersey will continue to build an intersectional immigrant justice movement, dismantling anti-Blackness and standing in solidarity to create a future that embraces all newcomers with radical love and justice.

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Faith in New Jersey is a multi-faith multi-racial power building vehicle for faith communities and everyday people traditionally excluded from the decision making that impacts their everyday lives. Through faith-based community organizing we deliver tangible changes for communities to thrive with a co-created social justice agenda that supports human rights, expanding democracy, ending gun violence, restorative, racial, economic, and immigrant justice on the local, state, and federal level. 

Faith in New Jersey is a non-partisan 501c3 local federation of the Faith in Action national network and proud members of the Live Free USA network.

Resistencia en Acción NJ is a grassroots migrant justice organization working under the mission of educating, empowering, and organizing immigrant communities to defend and protect our human and civil rights. Our mission is to defend the migrant community criminalized by local police, ICE, exploitative employers, racial profiling, and the detention and deportation system.