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How some New Jersey nonprofits are fighting to keep DEI alive

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How some New Jersey nonprofits are fighting to keep DEI alive


How are New Jersey nonprofits navigating the new directives?

Linda M. Czipo, president and CEO of the NJ Center for Nonprofits, the only statewide network for charities in the Garden State that serves more than 40,000 of the state’s registered 501 (c)(3)’s, said the organizations are responding to the federal policy changes in different ways.  Some are leaning more into their mission and vision, while others are considering walking away from the sector.

“Sometimes an organization’s reason for being is to lift up marginalized people or a historically excluded constituency, and a government grant makes it possible to do that,” Czipo said. “But how does one serve a target community if their messaging has been toned down or stripped away to comply with federal guidelines? I would like to think that the outreach itself would not change even if some of the verbiage does.”

She said what makes the federal directives challenging is that many organizations benefit from federal funds that pass through other entities, such as state agencies and foundations. So, it is not just federal funds that are drying up, but also monies that come through other sectors.

Jesselly De La Cruz, the executive director of the Latino Action Network Foundation stated that her organization has faced similar pressures to those expressed by Burke. Founded in 2010, the foundation serves Latino communities across New Jersey, with a focus on justice, inclusion and equity.

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The nonprofit receives a large portion of its funding from state grants and private philanthropy, which supports workforce development programs for immigrant women and men.

“We believe that helping moms sustain the family system benefits everyone in that system,” she explained. “So our programs do targeted outreach around that.”

The Latino Action Network Foundation is a statewide nonprofit focused on advancing progressive policy. (Courtesy of Jesselly De La Cruz)

De La Cruz said her parents emigrated from the Dominican Republic in the ‘70s.

“The ‘80s and ‘90s were different times, but my family lived [in] fear of ICE raids, not knowing if my mom was going to come home from work because there was a raid at the factory, or [if] my father was detained while driving for whatever reason. I did grow up with that anxiety 40 years ago,” she said.

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She said her own life experiences drive her to do the work she does, and this is why she is committed to it.



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N.J. group demands review of Trenton immigration arrest operation at auto shop

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N.J. group demands review of Trenton immigration arrest operation at auto shop


U.S. Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman, D-Mercer, said in a statement on Facebook that she has been briefed about the incident and her office is monitoring the situation.

Pazmino said her organization is calling on members of the community to come together.

“Brown and Black immigrant communities and nonimmigrant communities are welcome, and should be uniting against this force,” she said.

She is also calling on local officials to assist relatives of those taken into custody.

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“We need to support families affected by these kidnappings, with mutual aid, donations and anything else you think will help each other,” Pazmino said.

A woman identified as Andrea, while holding her 1-year-old daughter, Genesis, tearfully spoke in Spanish about the anguish she feels and her fears about the future without her husband Christian, one of the men taken into custody. A friend, who translated her word into English, said Christian was a good and honest man.

“If he used to see a neighbor carrying something heavy, he would run to help them. If a friend needed a favor, he didn’t ask, he just did it,” she said.

Andrea (left) whose husband, Christian, was taken into custody during a raid on a Trenton auto repair shop, holds her 1-year-old daughter, Genesis, while translator Ashley Batz reads her statement in English. (Emma Lee/WHYY)

She said “his daughter was his whole world. He would wake up to her and give her kisses every morning. He would play with her after a long day at work. He loved us and protected us. He didn’t do anything wrong, so why was he taken?”

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The Rev. Erich Kussman, St. Bartholomew’s pastor, said the entire Lutheran Church stands with the family.

“Anything you need, you can come to us. I want you to know that. I will stand with you, and we will do what we can to protect you, because that’s the call of the gospel of Jesus Christ,” he said.

“Standing with ICE is antithetical to the gospel of Jesus Christ, hands down,” he added. “Fifty-one times the scriptures tell us to welcome the immigrant and foreigner as one of our own. If you’re not living true to that gospel, the words of Christ himself, you are not a Christian, no matter what you claim to be.”

With immigration enforcement activity on the rise in New Jersey, lawmakers have proposed several bills to expand protections for immigrant communities. One measure called the “Fight Unlawful Conduct and Keep Individuals and Communities Empowered Act” would allow individuals to file a lawsuit against ICE agents who violate their constitutional rights.

Asma Elhuni speaking at a podium
Asma Elhuni, an organizer with Resistencia En Acción NJ speaks at a press conference at St. Bartholomew Lutheran Church in Trenton, joined by pastor Erich Kussman. The group was responding to the detention of three workers at Agudo’s Repair Shop on Feb. 20, 2026. (Emma Lee/WHYY)

Another proposed bill would require any business that operates a private prison or detention facility in the state to pay a tax equal to 50% of the taxpayer’s gross receipts derived from the operation of the facility during the previous year. The bill also stipulates all revenues generated would go to an “immigration protection fund.”

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Recently proposed legislation would prohibit ICE agents from ever holding a public job in the Garden State, and New Jersey U.S. Sens. Cory Booker and Andy Kim are proposing legislation to prevent new funding for the Department of Homeland Security from being used to purchase a warehouse in Roxbury, New Jersey.

Requests for comment from ICE and the U.S. Marshals Service were not immediately returned.



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Spring’s coming; Sunny, warm Saturday and significant warm-up ahead NJ

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Spring’s coming; Sunny, warm Saturday and significant warm-up ahead NJ


A brief respite from cold weather is ahead of New Jersey this weekend, before temperatures continue to rise late next week, according to the National Weather Service.

Saturday, Feb. 28 will be sunny across the Garden State, and temperatures will be comfortable, reaching the high 40s and low 50s.

Then, a brief artic cold front is expected to move into the region late on Saturday night, bringing temps to low 30’s and some scattered snow showers on Sunday, especially in North Jersey.

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During the week, a couple low pressure systems are in the NWS forecast. Little snow if any is expected from these systems, especially in the late week, when a significant warm-up is expected.

Asbury Park and Monmouth County weekend weather forecast

Saturday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 45.

Saturday night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 33.

Sunday: Partly sunny and a chance of snow before 1 p.m. The high should be near 39. Chance of precipitation is 30%. New snow accumulation of less than a half inch possible.

Sunday night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 22.

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Wildwoods and Atlantic County weather forecast

Saturday: Partly sunny, then gradually becoming sunny, with a high near 56.

Saturday night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 31.

Sunday: Partly sunny and a slight chance of rain before 1 p.m. The high should be near 44. Southeast wind 5 to 10 mph. Winds could gust as high as 20 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.

Sunday night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 19.

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Newark and Essex County weather forecast

Saturday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 53.

Saturday night: Increasing clouds, with a low around 32.

Sunday: Cloudy and scattered snow showers before 1 p.m. Then gradual clearing of skies, with a high near 39. Chance of precipitation is 40%.

Sunday night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 17.

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Juan Carlos Castillo is a New Jersey-based trending reporter for the USA Today Network. Find him on Twitter at _JCCastillo.



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Winning numbers drawn in Thursday’s New Jersey Pick 6 Double Play

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Winning numbers drawn in Thursday’s New Jersey Pick 6 Double Play


The winning numbers in Thursday’s drawing of the “New Jersey Pick 6 Double Play” game were:

8, 23, 29, 34, 43, 45

(eight, twenty-three, twenty-nine, thirty-four, forty-three, forty-five)

For more lottery results, go to Jackpot.com | Order Lottery Tickets

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