Events

The Rutgers Journal of Law and Public Policy present the 2026 Symposium, Guardians of Democracy - New Jersey Lawyers and Legislators Challenging the Limits of Executive Power. Special guest speakers include Matthew J. Platkin, Former NJ Attorney General, and Jeremy Feigenbaum, New Jersey Solicitor General. Panelists include: Amol Sinha, Executive Director of the ACLU-NJ Lynda Garcia, Chief Counsel to Senator Cory Booker Rose Cuison-Villazor, Director of the Rutgers Law Center for Immigration Justice Gwynne Wilcox, Former Chair of the National Labor Relations Board Andrew Zwicker, New Jersey State Senator Email pamela.brewster@rutgers.edu or sa2244@scarletmail.rutgers.edu with any questions about the event.

From surges in immigration detention and policing by ICE, to the evolution of surveillance technology fueled by AI and social media, to the rollbacks of basic protections of the rule of law, the ground is shifting under us as we try to build a legal system that centers justice and dignity. Join students and scholars from Princeton and other institutions, activists and community organizers, local community members, and justice-impacted individuals to take stock of the current carceral landscape and the struggle to heal its wounds. Staff members from the ACLU of New Jersey will speak on the following panels: Staff Attorney Dillon Reisman will speak on the “Surveillance, Technology, and the Built Carceral Environment” panel on April 10 from 2:45-3:45 pm. Policy Counsel DaWuan Norwood will speak on the “Police Violence and the War on Drugs” panel on April 10 from 4:00-5:00 pm. Executive Director Amol Sinha will speak on the “Fighting for Second Chances: The State of Clemency in New Jersey” panel on April 11 from 11:15 am-12:15 pm.

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.

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.