Dear Editor:

Re Governor Corzine creation of Advisory Panel on Immigration

Gov. Corzine should be cautiously lauded for his creation of the Governor's Blue Ribbon Panel on Immigration. The panel is entrusted with "developing recommendations for a comprehensive and strategic statewide approach to successfully integrating immigrants in the State." He  has demonstrated his commitment to empowering all the citizens of New Jersey to benefit from the state's resources and to also contribute fruitfully to its progress.

As the national debate on immigration reforms has been put on hold due to Congressional strife, serious attempts at accommodating the human and civil needs of all immigrants are urgently sought to counter measures to criminalize, dehumanize, and castigate immigrants. While we welcome the Governor's initiative, we also recognize that their plight will not be resolved until Congress acts. We fear that no substantive discussion of this issue will occur until after the 2008 presidential elections. Meanwhile, the Panel could advise the Governor on appropriate ways to deal with local ordinances which negatively impact the lives of immigrants. The case of Morristown deputizing officers and Freehold banning rentals without status verification are two topics requiring immediate attention.
We laude the Governor for seeking practical steps to integrate and ease the burden of immigrants. We are especially delighted that the Governor for his decision to appoint an Arab American, as member of this panel. We take note of this appointment which signals a new departure for our community- for long absent from many entities with state-wide policy powers.
The issue of Arab Americans wishing to become citizens or desiring to be reunited with their relatives ought to be included in any policy recommendation by the panel. We recall Corzine's recent press release on this topic where he stated that "a path to earned citizenship and a process that encourages and promotes self-sufficiency and enables our immigrant population to continue contributing fully to our society. Family reunification should be a priority not an afterthought." New Jersey should be proud of its forward looking and insightful Governor.

Aref Assaf, PhD

President
American Arab Forum
www.aafusa.org