Overview

Make the Road Action New Jersey strengthens the voices and participation of Latine and working class community members through year-round community organizing, civic engagement outreach and public policy advocacy in the areas of immigrant rights, workers’ rights, affordable housing, climate justice, and more. Nearly a quarter of New Jersey’s population identifies as Latine. Make the Road Action organizes state wide and has powerful bases in majority Latine cities, including Elizabeth, Passaic City and Perth Amboy. Through our relational grassroots organizing, leadership development, and large-scale persuasion and mobilization campaigns, we’re ensuring that our communities have the power to shape our futures. Together, we’re building a more just and equitable New Jersey.

Victories

Make the Road Action New Jersey (MRA NJ) has won dozens of campaigns that improve the lives of millions of working class and immigrant New Jerseyans from all walks of life. We have organized our communities to learn their rights, build power, and raise our voices for public policies that support workers, renters, and working families. For example, during the COVID-19 pandemic we won an expansion of the Child Tax Credit that helped thousands of working families have access to cash credits. In addition, we won the landmark Excluded New Jerseyans Fund and associated tax credits, which distributed more than one hundred million dollars in public aid to undocumented immigrants and other workers excluded from federal pandemic aid. Recently, we organized to strengthen tenant protections like rent control and vacancy decontrol in Passaic, Elizabeth, and Perth Amboy.

In addition, MRA NJ runs a substantial civic engagement program. For example, in the 2025 New Jersey Governor race, MRA conducted its largest voter engagement program, reaching Latine, Black, and working-class voters in Elizabeth, Passaic, and Perth Amboy through:

• ✔ 7,293,711 digital impressions
• ✔ 269,060 calls
• ✔ 100,000 texts
• ✔ 59,320 doors knocked