Staff -New Jersey Alliance for Immigrant Justice

Aidee Pascual, Development and Operations Coordinator

Aidee Pascual (she/her) is the Administrative Assistant with the New Jersey Alliance for Immigrant Justice (NJAIJ) where she serves as first point of contact for members of the public to engage with our work. Daughter of immigrant parents from Mexico, she was born and raised in New Jersey. Pascual graduated from New Jersey City University with a B.A in Media Arts. She is thoroughly impassioned with the work led by coalition members at NJAIJ and supports the critical infrastructure the coalition needs for our work ahead.

What grounds you in immigrant justice work?

Growing up with an immigrant family is the driving force of everything I do today. I have seen the struggles they have faced as well as how hard they have worked to give me everything they possibly could. It’s motivating to know that above all, NJAIJ fights for families like mine.
What is your favorite NJAIJ memory?

My favorite memory at NJAIJ has to be the entirety of Advocacy Academy. We had been planning for it so much that actually being in it was a bit surreal. It was really fun to connect with everyone, but also very necessary to have the discussions and panels we did. I’m still so proud of all of us and I can’t wait for the next one.
What is your favorite movie?

One of my favorite movies of all time is Bong Joon-ho's Parasite (2019). It’s a drama, horror/thriller, and comedy (yes all of those) about social inequality and wealth disparity, what's not to love?!

Amy Torres, Executive Director

Amy Torres (they/them or she/her) serves as the Executive Director of NJAIJ. In this position, they lead member organizations and staff to direct policy and organizational priorities. Prior to NJAIJ, Torres served for over seven years in immigrants’ rights and policy advocacy in New York City, with a focus on Asian American and Pacific Islander empowerment. Torres brings depths of experience in coalition-building, civic engagement, and from their personal life, grassroots organizing in Hudson County. Firmly rooted in Torres's identity is their experience as a second generation Filipinx American and the core belief that human rights and liberties should not be subject to change because of something as arbitrary as birthplace, border, or paperwork.

What does immigrant justice mean to you?

Like many other children of immigrants, I've spent my whole life being an advocate. From an early age, immigrants' kids are often the primary translator, the cultural broker, and the first generation to experience and navigate American systems. Fighting for visibility, fair representation, and justice is something we've grown up doing and I am proud to continue that work today in my role at NJAIJ.
What is your favorite NJAIJ memory?

One of our members used to be very nervous speaking in front of legislators. Over the years, I watched as she attended NJAIJ trainings, workshops, and use the toolkits on our Resource Hub in her work. Nearly two years later, we were on a trip to Washington DC to fight for citizenship for all. We were chatting outside an office building when she suddenly bolted down the street and grabbed Senator Durbin by the arm as he was walking by. She started grilling him citizenship for all. It was such a beautiful moment, witnessing her journey from once feeling "too nervous" to then running after a senior US Senator so that she could fight for her community.
What is your favorite book?

Frantz Fanon's Wretched of the Earth. It's a timeless read. Decolonizing ourselves and empowering our communities go hand in hand.

Dante Apaéstegui, Community Response Coordinator

Dante Apaéstegui (he/him) is NJAIJ's Community Response Coordinator. With a focus on Newark, Dante leads the local, state, and federal advocacy and service coordination for asylum seekers and new arrivals from the Southern Border.

Prior to joining NJAIJ, Dante advocated for fair and equitable access to employment, housing, medical treatment for people living with a conviction history, substance use disorder, and/or HIV/AIDS at The Legal Action Center. Dante holds a masters in philosophy from the New School for Social Research and is currently pursuing a J.D. at Rutgers Law School, in Newark, NJ.

What does immigrant justice mean to you?

Immigrant justice is recognizing migration as a human right, advocating for legal protection, and addressing the Kafkaesque challenges of the U.S. immigration system. Personally, as a child of immigrant parents, justice means moving without fear, working with hope for the future, and living with fulfilling peace.
What is your favorite advocacy memory?

One advocacy memory that stands out vividly is from a Know Your Rights workshop I facilitated with community members. As we gathered together, I felt a palpable sense of empowerment permeating the room. There's an undeniable strength in unity, especially when it's fueled by a common cause. It wasn't just about knowing our rights; it was about owning them, asserting them, and demanding justice.
What is your favorite book?

It's difficult to choose just one! There's a book for every mood and moment. Feeling empowered? Dive into Paulo Freire’s “Pedagogy of the Oppressed.” Want to learn and connect? Explore powerful storytelling by Ta-Nehisi Coates in “Between the World and Me” and Karla Cornejo Villavicienco in “The Undocumented Americans.” Craving laughter? David Sedaris will not disappoint.

Erik Cruz Morales, Policy & Advocacy Manager

Erik Cruz Morales (He/Him) is the Policy and Advocacy Manager at the New Jersey Alliance for Immigrant Justice. Erik leads NJAIJ's advocacy efforts by crafting, managing, and executing strategy for NJAIJ's core campaigns and supporting campaigns in the larger social and racial justice advocacy landscape. Before joining NJAIJ, he was a Program Associate and Philanthropy Fellow at The Fund for New Jersey, a private foundation in Princeton, NJ, that focuses on supporting nonprofit organizations advocating for a range of critical issues affecting the state of New Jersey, including affordable housing, environmental justice, immigrant rights, racial justice, and more. Prior to The Fund, Erik worked at NJ Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency as an Eagleton Fellow, and previously interned at the ACLU of New Jersey, in Assemblyman Gordon Johnson's office and Congressman Bill Pascrell's office. He has his Master's degree in public administration, with a concentration in leadership for public organizations, from the School of Public Affairs and Administration at Rutgers University Newark. Erik resides in Essex County and is deeply committed to New Jersey. He is passionate about civic engagement and helping others understand the issues affecting their communities.

What does immigrant justice mean to you?

For me, immigrant justice means the humane treatment of all immigrants across all borders, but unfortunately, immigrants and migrants all over the world face oppressive and violent systems. The root causes of migration include imperialism, colonization, violence, persecution, natural disasters, and capitalism and economic globalization that impose poverty and displacement, too often due to policy decisions being made in other countries. To reach true justice, we must recognize and push back against global policies that force people to move. Immigrant justice is about treating communities with dignity and respect, allowing immigrants to thrive and creating safe spaces.
What is your favorite advocacy memory?

My favorite advocacy memory was when I attended a rally outside the Supreme Court in Washington, D.C., with my partner and sisters regarding the legality of the DACA program. Seeing so many community members come out in support of DACAmented youth was beautiful. As an immigrant from Oaxaca, Mexico, and a beneficiary of DACA, I felt empowered and supported by other impacted individuals all across the country.
What is your favorite movie?

I have a couple of favorite movies but I’d have to go with Shrek. I enjoy watching all types of movies, so let me know if you have any recommendations!

Hayat Abdelal, NWK Documenters Program Coordinator

Hayat Abdelal (she/her) is the Program Coordinator for NWK Documenters. NWK Documenters are the eyes and ears of the city. The program trains and pays community members to attend and document public meetings to keep communities informed.

Before joining NJAIJ, Hayat was an educator with Teach for America serving in Newark. Hayat studied at Drew University where she also participated in the Civics Scholars program and received her Masters in History from Rutgers-NJIT’s Federated program in Newark. Hayat is a proud Palestinian and passionate about NJAIJ’s vision to work towards making New Jersey a place where everyone has the resources and rights to protect and empower themselves.

What does immigrant justice mean to you?

There is no true justice until there is justice for all. Policies that target immigrants and refugee populations aid a standard of legislation that infringes on the freedom of everyone. To create a more equitable society we need to ensure immigrants, asylum seekers, and refugees are also protected.
What's your favorite movie?

I don’t have a favorite, but I love watching comedy movies with my family!

Kat Phan, Policy & Research Associate

Kat Phan (She/Her) is NJAIJ's Policy and Research Associate, as well as an anti-detention organizer and graduate student at the Princeton School of Public and International Affairs. Prior to joining our team, Phan led policy and demographic research on language access and local immigration policies at San Francisco’s Office of Civic Engagement and Immigrant Affairs. She is the proud daughter of Vietnamese refugees and is committed to the liberation of all migrants from institutional and structural oppression.

What grounds you in immigrant justice work?

As a child of refugees, I have experienced firsthand the necessity for culturally sensitive, trauma-informed policies and protected community spaces. My commitment to immigrant justice is rooted in my desire to co-create a world where immigrants, asylum seekers, and refugees like my parents can be their fullest selves and live or dream as imaginatively and freely as they desire.
What is your favorite NJAIJ memory?

In my first few months with the NJAIJ team, we hosted a multilingual town hall with NJAIJ community members on the Values Act. Being able to witness true language access in practice and hear such intense commitment to liberation from incarceration and detention left me more convinced than ever that our immigrant communities will win.
What is your favorite book?

“Be Not Afraid of Love” by Mimi Zhu has spoken to me more than any other piece of literature I’ve read in recent years. The book is an invitation to be more loving towards ourselves, our people, and communities that have been systematically denied access to healing. The writing is calming, reflective, and a reminder that personal and political change must come from a source of radical love.

Madison Linton, Policy Fellow

Madison Linton (she/they) is a staunch advocate and visionary within the realms of immigration policy and reproductive rights. Her completion of thesis field research in Quito, Ecuador and Bogotá, Colombia regarding reducing sexual violence affecting Venezuelan refugee and migrant women, paired with interning for and completing research for State Health and Values Strategies (SHVS), sparked her commitment to achieving meaningful change at the intersection of immigration and healthcare policy. A lifelong New Jerseyan, Madison was raised in Barnegat, NJ and she holds a BA from Princeton University in the School of Public and International Affairs with certificates in the Global Health Program and the Program in Translation and Intercultural Communication.

What does immigrant justice mean to you?

To me, immigrant justice means advocating for equitable, accessible, and sustainable global policy that addresses the creation of safe spaces for immigrants and the integration of communities.
What grounds you in immigrant justice work?

My personal and professional connections with the immigrant community, as well as my strong beliefs in humanitarian policy work.
What's your favorite book?

Undocumented by Dan-el Padilla Peralta.

Viri Martinez, Member Empowerment Manager

Viri Martinez (she/they) is the Manager of Member Empowerment at the New Jersey Alliance for Immigrant Justice (NJAIJ). Martinez supports NJAIJ’s members and the larger immigrant justice movement through capacity-building efforts, and by providing resources that empower communities. Prior to becoming a staff member, Martinez was a Policy Intern with NJAIJ where they were responsible for policy research, monitoring state legislative activity, and uplifting the work of coalition members. Martinez studied Public Policy and Latino & Caribbean Studies at Rutgers University-New Brunswick, and is also a proud graduate of Raritan Valley Community College.

What grounds you in immigrant justice work?

Being in community and in relationship with immigrant folk grounds me in the fight for immigrant justice. I want the very best for the people I love and the people in my community, and that means ensuring that there are policies that protect and empower immigrants.
What is your favorite NJAIJ memory?

My favorite NJAIJ memory was recruiting artists to make posters for our 2022 Immigrant Heritage Month rally. It was a lovely experience getting to work with artists that have beautiful creative visions.
What is your favorite book?

My favorite book is Open Water by Caleb Azumah Nelson and Dominicana by Angie Cruz

Yev Gelman, Digital Organizer

Yev Gelman (he/him) is NJAIJ's Digital Organizer, where he crafts, manages, and executes organizational and coalition communications. Yev brings his communication, writing and digital design skills to benefit the NJ immigrant community and the larger coalition's work. Since leaving Russia and coming to the U.S. at 12 years old as an asylum-seeker, Yev has worked and studied to become a passionate art-maker and generous community member. He is a graduate of Fordham University's B.A. programs in Creative Writing and Theatre Directing, and is someday hoping to bridge his interests and create healing through theatre art with immigrant and refugee populations. When not working or writing mediocre poetry, Yev loves to bike, read, and tend to the tomato plants in his garden.

What does immigrant justice mean to you?

Three things –– the first is, obviously, political rights and humane treatment under the law regardless of status, race, or ethnicity. The second is economic mobility, an inclusive social care system, and the opportunity for dignity in work (which includes equal payment!) Finally, and crucially: visibility, respect, and universal recognition of the ways in which immigrant communities add to the nation's economy and cultural capital.
What is your favorite advocacy memory?

The often-forgotten part of advocacy, which is the small, person-to-person conversations that take place within families and communities. I believe that our greatest power as activists is our empathy and care, so I see being able to practice care for members of my community to be one of the most rewarding forms of activism. Likewise, I find it crucial to have difficult conversations with people on opposite sides of the political spectrum in order to awaken their empathy in future interactions.
What is your favorite book or movie?

Some of my favorite books are The Idiot by Elif Batuman and In the Light of What We Know by Zia Haider Rahman, which both deal with immigration, displacement, and cross-cultural relationships. My favorite movies are Amelie (which I've been re-watching yearly since I was 8 years old) and Everything Everywhere All At Once.