I do not come to this fight as an abstract matter of principle. I come to it as an immigrant, as a woman, as an LGBTQ+ ally, and as a mother of two daughters. I have spent a decade fighting to advance protections for marginalized communities — in policy committees, in legislative hearings, in the unglamorous work of advocacy that rarely makes headlines. And I can tell you: what is happening right now is different. The rollbacks are no longer incremental. They are structural. And they are personal.

When I think about what is at stake in this moment, I think about my daughters. I want them to live in a country where they are free. Where their identities are not questioned. Where they never have to wonder whether they belong. This past year has shown that that future is not guaranteed. It has to be fought for. And right now, that fight runs directly through the United States House of Representatives.

The current administration is executing a coordinated assault on the institutional frameworks that protect civil rights and foster inclusion. The weaponization of anti-DEI policies is erasing marginalized identities from public and corporate spaces. Voter suppression tactics are systematically targeting Black and brown communities. Federal protections for LGBTQ+ individuals — particularly queer and trans youth — are being dismantled in favor of discriminatory policy. The threatened gutting of the Department of Education puts public schooling, the single greatest engine of upward mobility, at risk — with the heaviest burden falling on low-income students and students of color. And for immigrants, the threat of mass deportations and family separation is not a hypothetical. It is a daily reality.

When the executive branch operates with such open hostility toward equity, a compliant Congress is not a passive failure. It is a dangerous liability.

We need a House of Representatives that will aggressively assert its oversight authority, use the power of the purse to defund harmful initiatives, and hold this administration fiercely accountable. That firewall can only be built by flipping competitive seats. And the path to the House majority runs directly through New Jersey’s 7th Congressional District.

To win NJ-07, we need a candidate who can neutralize the standard partisan attacks used against challengers in swing districts — and Rebecca Bennett is exactly that candidate. As a former U.S. Navy helicopter pilot and Air National Guard officer, her patriotism and national security credentials are unimpeachable. As a healthcare business leader, she brings private-sector credibility that resonates with this district’s voters. And as a working mother who understands what is actually at stake for families, she brings the moral clarity this moment demands.

Biography alone does not flip a district — infrastructure does. Bennett has built a campaign capable of going the distance in one of the nation’s most expensive media markets, with a top-tier team, formidable fundraising, and the organizational depth to compete against incumbent spending. She is not just a compelling candidate. She is our ONLY shot at defeating Tom Kean Jr.

I got into this work because I believe that the arc of history bends toward justice — but only when people work to bend it. I want my daughters to inherit a country that is still bending. Rebecca Bennett is running to make sure it does. That is why I am with her, without reservation, and without hesitation. 

Anjali Mehrotra is a fierce advocate for representation and gender parity in all walks of life but especially at all levels of elected office. She served as a National Board member for National Organization for Women, on the state board for American Association of University Women of New Jersey and on the cabinet of Emerge New Jersey. All three organizations actively work to increase the number of women in Congress.

Anadolu staff

US immigration officers and protesters clashed outside a detention facility in New Jersey, local media reported, as criticism mounted over conditions inside the center, according to local media.

The demonstration took place outside Delaney Hall, a privately operated immigration detention facility in Newark that houses migrants detained by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), according to Fox News.

Protesters attempted to form a human chain outside the facility while chanting slogans against ICE. Some demonstrators threw water at agents, and several people were detained during the confrontation.

New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill said her request to enter the facility earlier Monday had been rejected.

“My request for access to Delaney Hall was formally denied this morning, raising serious questions about what they are trying to hide from public view,” Sherrill said in a statement.

Videos shared by local broadcasters showed protesters and ICE agents standing face-to-face near the entrance to the facility before tensions later eased.

The protests came amid a reported hunger and labor strike by detainees inside the center over alleged poor living conditions, lack of medical care and restrictions on family visits.

In a letter released last week, nearly 300 detainees described conditions inside the facility as “inhumane,” citing poor food quality and medical neglect.

A spokesperson for the US Department of Homeland Security rejected the allegations, saying detainees are provided meals, clean water, hygiene supplies and access to communication with relatives and lawyers.

Family members and supporters of detainees have maintained a vigil outside the facility since Friday.