care without consequences that's what immigration activists say the values act can provide if passed in the legislature the bill would allow immigrant residents to seek public services without the fear of being deported immigration Advocates held a virtual panel to call them lawmakers to pass a values act which would strengthen and codify the separation between state and local law enforcement and federal immigration enforcement Melissa Rose Cooper has more on the bill that Advocates say would decrease the chances of routine interactions leading to life-altering consequences and prevent more new jerseyans from living their lives in fear immigrant Justice Advocates gathering in Trenton crawling on lawmakers to pass the values act this bill is long overdue our communities deserve justice we deserve access and confidence in the programs and services that we have fought hard to win the measure would allow immigrant residents to seek public services without fear of being deported by establishing a number of privacy protections like prohibiting the sharing of someone's immigration status through collecting their personal information it's crucial that our state government ensures that those in our community are who are at most risk are protected from Ice and other federal government surveillance the values act will codify and close loopholes in the Immigrant trust directive and would prohibit local police from cooperating with ice and limit the information that can be shared with them New Jersey is among the most diverse states in the country almost one in four new jerseyans are immigrants and yet despite this Rich diversity far too many immigrants in New Jersey and their families live in fear that a visit to the emergency room a routine interaction with law enforcement or even a school drop-off will result in separation from their loved ones and deportation fears Advocates say are experienced too often across New Jersey's immigrant communities one of faith in New Jersey's leaders a couple years ago was coming home from dropping their child off at daycare when they were surrounded by ice out outside of their home dragged from their car in front of their wife and sent to a Detention Center this friend was detained because of a marijuana charge from many years prior that they had already served time for when is New Jersey going to start passing laws and legislation that treat people as human beings and not just numbers to fill up detention centers prisons and juvenile correctional facilities every single person no matter where you were born no matter what language you speak no matter how or if you pray no matter your ZIP code every single person has inherent worth and dignity the bill is currently assigned to the Senate Judiciary and assembly law and Public Safety committees which met Thursday but the values Act was not on their agenda over the course of the last 12 months a slate of bad bills masquerading under the guise of Public Safety has come before this legislature bills that would raise minimum sentences bills that would harsher penalties bills that would roll back Major reforms that we have won for for the criminal legal system and yet the values act which would codify existing protections that we already have the values act which would expand those protections and make them permanent has not been heard Senate President Nicholas Qatari declined to comment on when the legislature would discuss the values act we also reached out to assemblyman Craig Coughlin and are waiting for a response in the meantime immigrant Advocates say they'll continue to make their voices heard until the values act becomes law for NJ Spotlight news I'm Melissa Rose Cooper [Music]