Page 4 THE VILLADOM TIMES II • February 16, 2011 Ridgewood The Social Responsibilities Council of the Unitarian Society of Ridgewood recently expressed its opposition to Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s proposed 2,250bed facilities in Essex County. The group’s opposition stems from the fact that this proposal would constitute a significant expansion of the immigration detention system, more than doubling the current number of immigration detention beds currently in New Jersey. As an organization, the SRC believes such detention is morally wrong, legally suspect, and wasteful of taxpayer funds. For over a decade, the Social Responsibilities Council of the Unitarian Society of Ridgewood has advocated for an end to the mass detention of immigrants, the use of alternatives to detention, and the improvement of conditions for those currently in immigration detention. “What we have observed is that visits from family, lawyers, clergy, and other humanitarian groups are often restricted and sometimes outright barred,” an SRC spokesperson said. “Many of the rights that apply in criminal cases, such as the right to counsel, appeals, phone calls, and health care are not extended to people suspected of immigration violations, and the entire system is plagued by a lack of oversight.” The SRC indicated that, since 2003, over 100 people have died in immigration detention, some due to medical neglect, and U.S. citizens continue to be mistakenly detained and deported. Though it may be considered a money maker for Essex County, the new detention center will be funded by federal Group opposes plans to double immigration detention tax dollars. This year, the immigration detention system will cost the U.S. taxpayers $1.7 billon. The proposed Essex County complex alone will cost the taxpayers in the neighborhood of a quarter of a million dollars per day, or nearly $90 million per year, the SRC stated. These federal tax dollars will be used to incarcerate long-time Essex County residents with significant ties to the community, and split apart local Essex County families. Many will be the primary breadwinners or caregivers for their families. Their detention will only further burden already stretched social services. Just over 23 percent of Essex County’s population is foreign born, according to the most recent data from the U.S. Census Bureau. Of this population, 71 percent have been in this country since before 2000, and 54 percent are not yet U.S. citizens. The SRC also noted the potential negative impacts on the local economy, since immigration detention removes workers and consumers from local economies, reducing both economic output and consumer spending. Some of the residents of Essex County who will be incarcerated at the new detention center will be from mixed immigration status families in which at least one parent is undocumented or is a legal permanent resident and may include a spouse or children who are US citizens, the SRC said. If the building of a new immigration detention center proceeds in Essex County, the SRC requests that the county executive and the freeholders ensure that the complex avoids the human rights abuses found at other detention centers and that the conditions are humane. As a service provider to the immigrant detainee population in New Jersey, the Social Responsibilities Council of the Ridgewood Unitarian Society expects to be among those organizations to assist with such an effort. SRC members have pledged to be vigilant in monitoring general conditions and the treatment of all immigrant detainees in any such facility. The Unitarian Society of Ridgewood is located at 113 Cottage Place, Ridgewood. For additional information, visit online at www.uuridgewood.org. Beginning March 2, Mount Carmel Church, 1 Passaic Street in Ridgewood, will host a 10-week program to provide support for those who are separated or divorced. Each week, the group will journey through the divorce process, focusing on topics such as loneliness, stress, self image, Divorce support group forming guilt, blame, anger, forgiveness, and growth. Sessions will be held on Tuesdays from 7:30 to 9 p.m. All are welcome. 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