ESSEX COUNTY, NJ — Patience Okhuofu wants New Jersey residents to remember one thing when it comes to immigrants seeking refuge in the Garden State: “They are good people.”

Okhuofu, an Essex County resident and a leader of the advocacy group Faith in New Jersey (FINJ), was among 300 activists who recently marched to the White House in Washington DC to demand expanded voting rights and “the end of the criminalization of migration”.

Religious leaders have pushed for federal and state immigration reform as the Securities Actwhich, if passed, will allow New Jerseyans to seek routine protection and support from state and local agencies without fear of reporting to federal immigration agencies and risking deportation – an issue that affects many disproportionately black immigrants, they said.

For Okhuofu, a Nigerian American and US Army veteran, it’s a matter of dignity.

“I am the face of all African immigrants in my community – in my state – and that is why I am here, for you to see my face and to see the faces of all African immigrants who are so afraid that they cannot go home,” Okhuofu said at the March 2 rally.

“They are good people…they contribute to society in some way…but then their hands are tied because they can’t do certain things and don’t have the freedom,” said Okhuofu.

Okhuofu said she has witnessed firsthand the pain and suffering suffered by her African community.

“I saw a grown man cry because he is torn between providing the basic necessities – food and shelter for his children – or spending the money on the exorbitant fees required to have a green card,” Okhuofu told attendees. at the gathering.

“The system is designed to prevent well-meaning immigrants from following the path to citizenship,” she continued. “Our brothers and sisters can’t sleep peacefully for fear of being deported, walking the streets with their hearts beating in fear. It’s not right. No one deserves to live like this.”

Okhuofu and other religious leaders involved in the march also said federal and state policies restricted their voting rights.

“The Voting Rights Bill, after not passing Congress earlier this year, is still on the FINJ agenda, especially after New Jersey’s recent vote on the new legislative map, which does not accurately represent the people of color they championed last month as a member of the Fair Districts New Jersey Coalition,” spokespersons for the group said.

Send local news tips and correction requests to [email protected]

Sign up for Patch’s email newsletters. Learn more about posting announcements or events to your local Patch site.