League of Women Voters of New Jersey
New Jersey Values Act Action Alert

Take Action: Pass the Values Act Now!

New Jersey is home to over 2 million immigrants, but far too many residents and their families live in fear that a routine interaction with law enforcement will result in separation from their loved ones and deportation. Unfortunately, a primary pathway for individuals ending up in immigration custody is from state and local criminal custody. Our immigrant community members should not fear accessing basic services, like making a trip to the emergency room, reporting an incident to local officials, or even dropping off their children at school.

The Values Act builds a more welcoming New Jersey by establishing critical protections that would allow immigrant community members to access the programs and services they need without fear of involvement from federal immigration authorities. 

The Values Act: 

  • Prohibits state and local law enforcement from cooperating with federal immigration authorities in instances when doing so is voluntary under federal law
  • Ensures that local resources are used to support local priorities rather than fund federal immigration enforcement
  • Eliminates carve-outs in the Immigrant Trust Directive - guidance that limits how state and local law enforcement resources are used to support federal immigration enforcement - that exclude immigrants entangled in the criminal legal system and disproportionately harm Black and brown New Jerseyans due to racial disparities in policing and prosecution
  • Protects personal information by limiting the data that public agencies — including hospitals and public schools — can collect
  • Requires public schools, health care facilities, libraries, and shelters to adopt model policies to ensure that people feel safer seeking public services they are eligible to access
  • Builds transparency and confidence in law enforcement through reporting requirements designed to confirm compliance with the Act

Tell your state lawmakers that we have work to do to build a truly welcoming state for all people – regardless of immigration status. It's past time for New Jersey to pass the Values Act and end its participation in the federal detention and deportation machine.

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Please vote yes on S512/A1986

Dear [elected official],

Sincerely, [Your information here]