Events

Join AAPI New Jersey and leaders from across the state as we urge state legislators in Trenton to fund Asian American communities in the 2027 FY State Budget, pass the New Jersey Voting Empowerment Act (NJVEA), and fully fund legal services for unaccompanied children and people detained in immigration detention. Every year, Asian American community-based organizations (CBOs) are left out of the New Jersey budget while other states like California and New York invest tens of millions in their respective communities. These are life-saving funds to CBO programs that serve our most vulnerable community members through mental health services, senior citizens programs, support for survivors of domestic violence, and more. New Jersey’s Asian American communities remain under-served because of a lack of funding for culturally competent programs. We are calling on state lawmakers to begin investing in Asian American community based programs this year. Participants will gain experience in advocating for policies and speaking to legislators in the Trenton state house. There will also be the opportunity to participate in a rally, attend a voting session, and much more to make our voices heard! Light breakfast and lunch will be provided. Co-Sponsors: AAPI Power Our Vote, ACLU New Jersey, South Asians for American, Engage Action, OutFront Metuchen, NJ Muslim Voice for Progress, Asian American Alliance in South Jersey, Chinese American Community of Fort Lee, Minkwon Center, New Jersey Institute for Social Justice, Livingston Chinese Association, CAIR New Jersey If you are new to advocacy, AAPI New Jersey will offer a virtual training session the week prior so you know what to expect:

Community members, workers, and advocates will gather at the historic Newton Green on May 2 for a May Day Rally & March, standing in solidarity for fair wages, access to healthcare, affordable housing, and the fundamental needs everyone deserves. Co-hosted by the Sussex County Education Association, Sussex Visibility Brigade, and Indivisible Sussex, this year’s May Day event brings together unions, local organizations, and residents to raise their voices in support of working people and to reaffirm a shared commitment to protecting democracy and ensuring dignity for all. May Day is a celebration of the power we build together. On May 2, neighbors will come together, stand side by side, and raise their voices for care, fairness, and opportunity for all. This gathering is both a moment and a movement, an open invitation to keep showing up for one another, to grow solidarity across Sussex County, and to carry this energy forward long after the day ends. Everyone has a place here, and every voice matters.  

In this moment, organized labor is a vital force to stand united for our families, communities, students, and unions. Join the ACLU-NJ, members of 32BJ SEIU, NJEA, and many other unions in a demonstration of solidarity and union power to build an equitable nation for all. We will meet at Jersey City City Hall, then march with stops at Goldman Sachs, ending at Exchange Place.

Voting is the cornerstone of our democracy and the fundamental right upon which all our civil liberties rest. Get informed before you vote in the primary election of the 12th Congressional District of New Jersey. Come listen where the candidates stand on the issues such as: Economic Opportunity Criminal Justice Healthcare Access Affordable Housing Community Investment Public Safety and more...

The issues of immigration and deportation in the United States are deeply fraught. Throughout our history, approaches to immigration have changed – from national quotas to explicit exclusion to mass deportations. The United States’s immigration policy is connected to broader political debates and perception of external threats. The Jewish community has always identified with the plight of the immigrant; many of our families came to the United States as refugees. That shared history, combined with the essential Jewish teaching to love our neighbors, makes the topic of Citizenship, Immigration and Deportation in America endlessly interesting and relevant. Join us for a timely and informative Lunch and Learn featuring Gary Darden, a history professor at Fairleigh Dickinson University. His talk will cover numerous contentious times in our nation’s immigration history, and we will explore the question of how this time is – or is not – different than what history has shown us. As always, there will be ways to Take Action following the Lunch & Learn.

The Latino Action Network is excited to announce their upcoming 2026 Latino Action Network Legislative Assembly to bring together the Latino leaders, activists, organizations, and elected officials from across New Jersey to once again collaborate and advance the fight for a more equitable and justice-oriented state for all. The theme this year — We Belong: Nuestro Poder en Accion! This Legislative Assembly will be tailored to not only host lectures and listening sessions, but to encourage attendees to participate in Interactive Action Labs. Contribute your thoughts and ideas in discussions with leading professionals to help craft LAN's advocacy and projects. ACLU-NJ Associate Director of Civic Engagement Alejandra Sorto will be leading a panel on the John R. Lewis Voter Empowerment Act of New Jersey (NJVEA).

In honor of National Libraries Week, the Cranbury Public Library Foundation will be offering an opportunity to join Amol Sinha, Executive Director of the ACLU of New Jersey, for a discussion on the role and importance of libraries and the broader challenges they’re facing nationally: This conversation will consider questions such as: What “access the information” actually means in a town like Cranbury Why clear policies matter for public institutions What pressures small libraries face in 2026 How residents can support a strong, welcoming library This conversation will focus on process, precedent, and practical realities, particularly how small communities like Cranbury navigate these issues thoughtfully and lawfully.