Last Friday morning (March 10) was not a day to be outside. Still approximately 100 people – including Rabbi Greenstein and other local clergy, Newark’s Cardinal Tobin, and Senator Menendez – gathered at a vigil outside of the Federal Court in Newark to oppose the deportation of Catalino Guerrero.
Although undocumented, Mr. Guerrero, aged 59, has lived in this country for 25 years. His children and grandchildren are citizens but he is an undocumented immigrant. He first came to the attention of immigration authorities when he applied for asylum and was denied. That denial triggered a deportation order – but, under President Obama, he was granted a reprieve each year because he is not a threat. He owns a home. He has worked and paid taxes for years. He has no criminal record.
The vigil was organized by Faith in New Jersey, a local affiliate of PICO, a national network of faith-based community organizations that seeks to provide an opportunity for people to take action. We marched to the courthouse, singing and chanting with banners held high, to meet Mr. Guerrero and his lawyer before Mr. Guerrero’s hearing. And then we waited outside in the cold and snow.
The decision was announced at 10:30am – the judge had granted a 2-month extension. Mr. Guerrero will have to appear in court again on May 22, but today he was able to see his family again and go home. Still, there is the fear that the next hearing may not go so well and he may be separated from his family.
I have signed petitions and made donations to various organizations, but I wanted to DO something. When Rabbi Greenstein told me about the vigil, I jumped at the chance to go with him. Beyond supporting Mr. Guerrero, the vigil gave a face to the 500,000 undocumented immigrants living in New Jersey – 5.4% of the state’s population (according to the Pew Research Center).
Click here to read more about the vigil.
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