Measure protects honest workers, punishes cheaters

By STEPHEN M. SWEENEY

Just about the first thing I mentioned when I spoke about my bill to impose penalties on companies that knowingly hire illegal workers is that New Jersey should welcome legal immigrants with open arms.

The way I see it, New Jersey is the best state in the greatest country in the world, and it's where I want to live out my American dream. I'm proud to work here and to live here with my family.

As my colleague and friend, state Sen. John Adler, D-Camden, said when he signed on as co-sponsor of my bill, S-1312, there's nothing wrong with encouraging people to live life by the rules. That's really the goal of this legislation -- to protect honest workers who want to live in New Jersey and raise their kids here and to punish those who want to cheat the system by cutting payroll costs through the use of illegal workers.

NJIPN Begins Review of NJ Attorney General Directive

“This national issue is really a very local one, and local police leaders face a growing set of immigration-related duties in the face of scarce and narrowing resources. It is critically important for local agencies to avoid being caught in the middle of endless battles over immigration policy.”

Police Chiefs Guide to Immigration Issues, a Project Response Publication of The International Association of Chiefs of Police, July 2007

NJIPN Opposes Piecemeal Approach

Visa lapse causes work 'crisis'

December 24, 2007

By TED STRONG

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Frank Collinson's landscaping company probably won't have enough workers this spring.

That's because Collinson, of Sparta, has been relying on Costa Rican and Mexican workers in the H-2B visa program, a program that has been cut by more than half since Congress let a key exemption lapse this year.

"It's a crisis," said Miles Kuperus Jr., owner of Farmside Landscaping and Design in Wantage, who uses the workers for jobs he can't fill with Americans.

NJIPN Board Attendees at Announcement Ceremony

List of Attendees at the Announcement of Governor Corzine’s Blue Ribbon Panel on Immigration

From Left to right:

1. Francis Blanco, First Vice-Chairman of the Board, NJIPN and Director, Minority & Women Business Development in the Office of Economic Growth;
2. Ira Stern, NJIPN Board member and Program Director, RWDSU;
3. Patricia Campos, NJIPN Board member and Unite Here!;
4. Shai Goldstein, Executive Director, NJIPN (panel member);
5. Kevin Brown, NJIPN Board member and NJ Regional Director, SEIU Local 32BJ;
6. Marlene Lao-Collins, New Jersey Catholic conference and Second Vice-Chair, NJIPN Board of Trustees;
7. Amy Gottlieb, Director of Immigrant Rights program at AFSC and NJIPNBoard member;
8. Jocelyn McCalla, President of JMC Strategies LLC and NJIPN Board member;
9. Mariann Moore, MSW, Hudson Perinatal Consortium and NJIPN Board member;
10. Christian Estevez NJ AFL-CIO, NJIPN Board member, and newly appointed Panel member.