PALISADES PARK, NJ – On March 2, over 50 volunteers from AAPI New Jersey, Estamos Unidos, GWB Indivisible, Indivisible NJ-5, and other allies crowded into a small deli at the south end of Broad Avenue, determined to help keep their neighbors in Palisades Park safe from ICE’s increasingly frequent abductions in the area. Volunteers picked up Know Your Rights materials and formed teams of Korean, Spanish, and English speakers to visit and shop at small businesses together and share information on how to protect their rights and those of their workers.
Many Palisades Park business owners on Broad Avenue and Columbia Avenue reported that their employees had been taken by ICE, or that they had seen ICE chase and abduct people. One Korean American business owner said, “Business has been slow. 80% of my customers are Hispanic and there are some people I haven’t seen in weeks. I hope they’re OK.” Volunteers talked with business owners and managers about how they can lock their doors when ICE is in the area and place a “PRIVATE – Employees Only” sign on their back rooms and kitchens to ensure ICE would need a judicial warrant to enter. Many businesses also put up signs on their outer doors made by AAPI NJ that read, “Everyone Is Welcome Here–but if you’re a federal agent, to enter we’ll need to see a warrant signed by a judge.” Volunteers shared flyers with information on rapid response hotlines and rights during encounters with ICE in Korean, English, and Spanish.
The enthusiastic crowd of volunteers included people from diverse racial/ethnic backgrounds across north Jersey, ranging in age from their 20s to their 70s. Many expressed an interest in joining the rapid response network in Palisades Park, and in returning to do more outreach.
This canvassing effort represented the continuation of a partnership between AAPI NJ, the state’s largest organization advocating for Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, and Estamos Unidos, a community defense and mutual aid group that has been responding to near-daily ICE arrests in Palisades Park in recent weeks.
“Our goal is to educate and support our community members, including local businesses on how to collectively protect their community,” said organizer Shelsea [last name redacted] of Estamos Unidos. Communities like Palisades Park are being deeply affected by daily ICE activity, and our neighbors are left traumatized and feeling the impact every day. We aim to educate businesses on their rights and how to safeguard themselves, their employees, and their customers. By coming together and unifying our voices, we are building a community-led movement rooted in solidarity from community members committed to protecting one another.”
AAPI NJ has begun a series of Korean-language Know Your Rights videos on its YouTube channel; businesses who wish to request signs or other materials and Asian Americans in need of legal referrals, aid, or other forms of support are invited to email advocacy@aapinewjersey.org or call/text 973-298-0966 in Korean or English for assistance. Visit our Immigrants’ Rights page for additional resources for AAPI communities.
