NEWARK — This week, U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) hosted a roundtable discussion with leaders from New Jersey’s Latino community to discuss federal policies pertaining to immigration, education, small businesses and criminal justice reform. The discussion, which Sen. Booker convened in his Newark office, included members of the business community, non-profit leaders and immigration rights advocates from across the state.
“Today’s meeting offered a tremendous opportunity to discuss some of the most pressing issues facing New Jersey’s Latino community,” said Sen. Booker. “From discussing ways to fix our nation’s immigration system, to improving health outcomes in underserved communities, to reforming our nation’s broken criminal justice system, today’s discussion provided incredibly important insights that will help ensure the needs of our Latino community are met. I look forward to continue strengthening our relationship so together we can work on federal policies that will help move New Jersey and our nation forward.”
“Empowering Latino small business owners is the key to strengthening the local economy and supporting the vitality of New Jersey’s communities. Senator Booker has always been one of our strongest allies in this effort, and I look forward to continuing our work together and implementing the ideas we discussed at this roundtable,” said Luis O. DeLaHoz, on behalf of the NJ Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.
“There are so many issues affecting our community. As a leading advocate in the state for immigrant rights, we are pleased that Senator Booker convened this roundtable as a useful platform to discuss immigration policy as well as other issues affecting our community,” said Diana Mejia, on behalf of Wind of the Spirit and member of the NJ Alliance for Immigrant Justice.
“FOCUS has been serving the Latino community for decades, and we can speak to the everyday challenges and needs of the community on everything from healthcare, to immigration, to financial empowerment,” said Casto Maldonado, Executive Director of the Hispanic Center for Community Development, Inc. “We applaud Senator Cory Booker’s support as we continue to work toward strengthening our community. This open dialogue we enjoy with Senator Booker is indeed a step in the right direction.”
Senator Booker has been a leader in the U.S. Senate in reforming our nation’s criminal justice system. In October, Sen. Booker joined a bipartisan group of senators in introducing comprehensive legislation aimed at recalibrating prison sentences for certain drug offenders, targeting violent criminals, and granting judges greater discretion at sentencing for lower-level drug crimes. The package also seeks to curb recidivism by helping prisoners successfully re-enter society. The Sentencing Reform and Corrections Act of 2015 was passed by the Senate Judiciary Committee.
As a member of the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, Sen. Booker has taken an holistic approach to addressing key immigration issues for New Jersey’s Latino community. In January, Sen. Booker and Sen. Menendez joined 22 of their Senate Democratic colleagues in sending a letter to President Obama urging an immediate end to the Department of Homeland Security’s immigration raids program. In February, Sen. Booker announced he signed onto the Fair Day in Court for Kids Act. Supported by various human rights and immigration organizations, the bill would provide government-sponsored counsel to unaccompanied children and vulnerable individuals.
As part of his ongoing efforts to improve health outcomes in underserved communities, last year Sen. Booker reintroduced legislation aimed at reducing disparities in healthcare among disadvantaged groups. The Reducing Disparities Using Care Models and Education (ReDUCE) Act requires the Institute of Medicine (IOM) to conduct research to determine the causes of health disparities and to identify successful methods that are being used to help eliminate them. The bill then targets federal funds to implement strategies successful in reducing health disparities.
Sen. Booker continues to support small businesses in New Jersey as a member of the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, hosting numerous small business forums throughout the state. Sen. Booker also sent a letter to Acting Administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) Marianne O’Brien Markowitz to inquire about the participation of women and minority-owned businesses in the SBA’s loan guarantee programs and to request the SBA’s commitment to increase its engagement with those groups. In August, Sen. Booker sponsored the Scale-Up Manufacturing Investment Company (SUMIC) Act of 2015, legislation that increases access to capital for entrepreneurs looking to scale-up and commercialize their advanced manufacturing innovations.
New Jersey leaders participating in this week’s roundtable include:
Arlene Quiñonez-Perez, President Elect, NJ Hispanic Bar Association
Luis O. DeLaHoz, Board Member, NJ Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
Analilia Mejia, ED, NJ Working Families Alliance
Roberto Vaca, Unidad Latina en Acción New Jersey
Jorge Torres, Unidad Latina en Acción New Jersey
Carlos Valentin, Jr., Executive Director, ASPIRA, Inc. Of New Jersey
Karol Y. Ruiz, Esq., Attorney with Diaspora Law
Diana Mejia, Wind of the Spirit and NJ Alliance of Immigrant Justice
Ralph Padilla, Executive Director, Puerto Rican Action Committee of Southern NJ
Casto Maldonado, Executive Director, FOCUS
Marisol Conde, DACA recipient, law student at Rutgers Law in Newark and an immigrant rights advocate
Jorge Lopez, Consul General, Ecuadorian Consulate
Carlos M. Bollar, President, NJ Hispanic Bar Association
Manuel “Manny” Segura, Chairman, Dominican-American Elected and Appointed Officials Caucus of NJ
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