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Briana: Tonight on "NJ Spotlight News" protester up in Trenton and across the country on Presidents' Day, some calling the current president a tyrant king, as a Democratic Congresswoman weighs in on all the federal firings.

>> They are stripping away indiscriminately at organizations that are designed to keep people healthy and whole.

Briana: Lust, tension, passengers.

The $31 million Hoboken path is on schedule and scheduled to be completed on schedule.

And gathering at the Statehouse, urging lawmakers to apply protections for the communities >>.

There has been overwhelming cowardice within our legislative bodies for years that has gotten us to this point that our immigration system.

Briana: And hunger in New Jersey.

Rutgers University looks to address food insecurity and some basic needs of its students.

>> When you don't have money, every dollar counts.

So this place really helped me and probably has saved the hundreds of dollars.

Briana: "NJ Spotlight News" begins right now.

♪ >> From NJPBS Studios, this is "NJ Spotlight News" with Briana Vannozzi.

Briana: Good evening -- good evening and thanks for joining us, I'm Raven Santana.

To begin with the few of today's top headlines.

First, more details continue to emerge about the latest agencies and probationary employees receiving pink slips, part of mass firings amid large-scale but it -- budget-cutting efforts.

The department of Health and Human Services saw more than 5000 terminations and some of its biggest agencies, including Medicare and Medicaid services and in the food and drug administration.

According to NBC news, the centers for disease control and prevention let go of two dozen staffers from their disease detectors lab.

The Department of Education and Veterans Affairs let go of 1000 employees.

The federal aviation administration was also impacted this weekend after the administration fired hundreds of employees, and air traffic controller told the associated press that people part included personnel hired for radar, landing in navigational aid maintenance.

The firms come just weeks after the fatal midair collision between a Black Hawk helicopter and American airlines jet just outside of Washington, D.C., and a day after a Delta Air Lines flight caught fire and flipped upside down upon landing in Toronto.

Also tonight, out with the old and in with the new.

Commuters are counting down the days for renovation work to end on the Hoboken path.

The station closed on January 30 and the Port Authority announced it is on schedule to reopen at the end of the month as planned.

The 31 million-dollar infrastructure remodel is part of a project to rebuild and upgrade the station, roughly 20,000 commuters passed through Hoboken set February was chosen for the past station closure because it's one of the months with the lowest ridership on the system, in turn disrupting the fewest commuters.

Path writers can take a look at the progress on the website where photos and videos of the renovations are available.

During construction, riders can use waterway fairies the cost of a half one-way fare.

-- a path one-way fare.

Shuttle buses will operate and increased NJ transit bus service between Hoboken and Port Authority is also available.

And on Presidents' Day, thousands of people participated in anti-Trump demonstrations across the U.S. and braved the cold here in Trenton.

Not my Presidents' Day thing was led by the 5051 movement, which stands for 50 protest, 50 states, one movement.

Working the second set of marches crisscrossing the states in the last two weeks.

In New York City that chanted, no tyrants, no kings, some demanding the resignation and impeachment of Donald Trump, calling for an investigation into Trump appointee Elon Musk.

Plus asking for the repeal of many of the executive orders the president has signed as well as the reinstatement of programs like D.E.I..

In the nation's capital, protesters carried signs, but they are not the only ones raising their voices in Washington.

New Jersey Congresswoman Bonnie Watson Coleman took to X to voice her concern, calling Trump and Musk's decisions reckless and chaotic.

She joins me to discuss the federal firings and the GOP's proposed budget cuts.

Thank you for joining us, Congresswoman.

>> Thank you for having me, Raven.

Raven: You recently posted on X, there chaotic incompetence is putting Americans in danger.

How so?

>> Well, first of all, Elon Musk has absolutely no accountability, and he is foraging through our various departments to get to those entities and agencies that keep our people safe.

Whether it is in the health care or any other venue.

Secondly, it is very clear that someone with Elon Musk's involvement and the importance of regulations over the things that he does, that he is trying to create an environment where there is no accountability, no regulation, and he's just going to line his pockets with even more money, considering that he's got more money than 100 people can spin in a lifetime, this level of greed is just absurd.

And thirdly, the president of the United States, let's be honest, he is a convicted felon who should not be in that position, in that seat, but he is.

He has a whole history of lying and cheating in his businesses as well.

So the two of them together, as far as making America great again, it has to do with making America high cost for those working families and poor families and cobbling together at the expense of those families the money that they need to put into even more generous tax breaks for billionaires and billionaire corporations.

Raven: Congresswoman, you mentioned musk has a lot to do with this plan, when you think about these firings that have occurred in a number of federal organizations from the FAA to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

What is the impact of all these federal firings here in New Jersey?

I want to bring it back to New Jersey.

>> In New Jersey, there's about 80,000, maybe a little bit more, federal employees.

We don't know to what extent they are going to be impacted, but we know that they are.

If they are impacted, their families are impacted.

In my district alone, there are probably close to 10,000, because I've been very close to Trenton and there are a lot of federal offices in Trenton.

So at the end of the day, the economic well-being of every day hard-working families, who do their jobs because they are professional, who have taken an oath to the office they are working in to keep us safe, either in the courts or at the FAA, when you look at what is happening right now with all of these accidents, they are stripping away indiscriminately at organizations that are designed to keep people healthy and whole.

Raven: How are Democrats responding?

Can you see any common ground with any of the administration's proposals?

>> Not yet.

I mean, there have been 100 and some executive orders that have all been designed to dismantle, hurt, and eliminate, so none of those work for us.

But Democrats are willing to work with Republican colleagues if we are working to ensure that they have access to health care.

If they have access to their prescription drugs.

If they have access to housing and other necessities.

If their education is going to be guaranteed.

Things of that nature.

So it's not that we are not willing to work with them.

They have nothing of value to work with.

So we have to work with our allies when we are not allowed to bring suits directly against these entities, and Donald Trump and Elon Musk.

We have to work with our allies because we got to employ this strategy of litigate, legislate, and then we've got to talk to people.

We've got to mobilize.

Raven: Speaking of legislate, you sit on the House Budget Committee.

How would the GOP's budget plans affect New Jersey?

>> Well, they affect New Jersey with hundreds of millions of dollars.

The plan that we were looking at , the budget committee doesn't give the instructions to the committees of jurisdiction, how to achieve the numbers they're giving them.

But let's just say Energy and Commerce.

There is an 880 billion dollar cut proposed to Energy and Commerce.

That's where you Medicaid is at, your Medicare is at.

They have already signaled through other means that Medicaid is something -- they have already eliminated the cap that Biden put on, the $2000 cap on elf care receivers.

They are already eliminating the cap, or trying to anyway, let me be clear about this.

They are trying to eliminate the cap on insulin and things of that nature.

But every step of the way, what they have tried to do, the courts have intervened.

Now we need to see how far the courts will go to make sure that the legal taking of, and the hostile takeover of federal government is stopped.

Raven: Congresswoman, thank you again for your time.

>> Thank you her having new.

Have a good day.

Raven: President Donald Trump's immigration crackdown across the U.S. continues to generate fear and controversy among several communities in the garden state.

Significant opposition is focused at the federal level, and many residents and local organizations in New Jersey are bringing their demands to Trenton.

Senior correspondent Brenda Flanagan has more on the day of action aimed at passing a bill to protect immigrant communities.

Renda: Protesters lobbied across New Jersey at state lawmakers offices, including the Senate in Clark where they urged the powerful Democrat to get behind the proposed immigrant trust act.

The bill would codify certain protections for undocumented immigrants but has languished in committee since its introduction last August.

Advocates argue New Jersey lawmakers need to act now.

Reverend Seth copper Dale has a nonprofit for immigrant refugees.

>> I think Democrats are afraid and I think everyone is afraid right now.

The community New Jersey needs to tell our elected officials that fear cannot win the day.

Brenda: When you folks injured his office and met with his Chief of Staff who ordered cameras off during the chat.

He was there own refused to comment on the bill although he did tell the New Jersey monitor he hasn't read it yet so he can't really speak intelligently in terms of what it does and what it doesn't do.

Jerseys assembly Speaker also had no comment.

With all 80 assembly numbers on November's ballot plus a wide open governor's race, immigration reform is up -- a politically hot third rail in a state with more than 425,000 undocumented residents.

>> The thing that has changed dramatically is that it feels to me like rather than elective leadership feeling strong to stand up, they are now hedging their bets everywhere you can think.

>> There has been overwhelming cowardice within our legislative bodies for years that has gotten us to this point in our immigration system has yet to be fixed.

Brenda: Assume conference of advocates cited recent ice raids like the one at a Newark fish market in the face of the Trump Administration's promise to launch the largest mass deportation in U.S. history, even rescinding sanctuary status for churches, schools, and hospitals.

>> What the Trump Administration is doing is going literally after all immigrants, not just criminals like they been mentioning, but after people who have been here 15, 20 plus years.

That is very harmful for our communities because it is creating a lot of fear.

>> We hear of parents scared to send their kids to school our teachers who are worried about how to best protect their students, from local communities who find their once Disney -- busy businesses are empty as people are drifting further into the shadows.

>> The proposed immigrant trust act -- to federal immigration law enforcement, to codify and enhance the state Attorney General's immigrant trust directive that now guides New Jersey law enforcement, a directive that has withstood legal challenges so far.

But it would eliminate carveouts in the directive that disproportionately target black and brown immigrants in the criminal legal system.

>> This bill is so important, so that we can actually stop the bleed so that we can build something new and fix our actual system, so people can access the things they need.

Brenda: The new U.S. Attorney General has already sued Illinois and New York over state statutes that protect undocumented immigrants.

Four of New York City Mayor Adams deputies just resigned amidst political turbulence following the Justice Department's move to dismiss corruption charges against Adams and his subsequent cooperation with ice.

>> In this moment it is more urgent than ever that New Jersey lawmakers stand with immigrant committee members.

>> Our democracy is in crisis.

Her constituents are watching.

Indeed, the entire country is watching to see what you do next to protect our neighbors, our coworkers, and our loved ones.

We call on you to stand up on the -- for the fair and welcome future we all deserve and pass the immigrant trust act immediately.

>> The bill has been assigned to New Jersey Senate Judiciary committee.

I'm Brenda Flanagan, "NJ Spotlight News".

Raven: Preschool enrollment in New Jersey is declining, highlighted in a newly released report to the education Law Center, finding that in the 2023-24 school year, just 78% of eligible preschoolers residing in number of high poverty urban districts participated in the program.

That means nearly 10,000 students missed out on an opportunity to receive a high quality early education.

So what is causing the decline, and what does that mean for preschool programs moving forward?

Senior correspondent Joanna Gagis has more.

>> It shocking to me how many parents of three euros don't know about this preschool program.

>> Students in the districts are eligible for pre--- free preschool.

A report looked at enrollment in these free kick classes 25 years after their court ordered start.

>> 78% of eligible preschoolers are currently enrolled in the preschool program so that means there's over 10,000 students who are not enrolled that could be.

>> Danielle is co-author of the report.

Districts are required turn role at least 90% of all eligible preschoolers.

Only five of the 31 district meant that Mark and only four had higher enrollment numbers in the last school year compared to the 2009-2010 year and many are much further away from hitting their 90% enrollment goals than in the 2009 school year.

>> After the first stages of implementation while the state was growing the program, we saw increases.

And then enrollment basically leveled off are a number of years.

Then starting a little bit before Covid, we did start to see declines in enrollment.

And then WinCo would happen, those declines were exacerbated.

But the troubling thing is that what we have seen is that the enrollments have not in many districts even rebounded to the levels that they were pre-Covid.

>> Some preschools are run through school districts.

Other -- others are partnerships , that along with the district some have struggled to meet enrollment numbers.

>> The transportation issue, a lot of parents in my district have to live two miles or more from their preschool in order to get transportation.

A lot of young families are pushing strollers and that is walking four miles a day.

I think that needs to be looked at.

>> Lorraine Cook also wants to see local providers like yourself able to register students when they come in instead of pushing them over to district buildings.

They been pleading to expand to a two-year pre-K program rather than only serving three-year-olds.

>> Providing that continuity where if the style -- child stays with the committee prior for two years, we can continue to have that skill building, knowing where the children are, instead of transitioning them to another program.

>> Reaching families continues to be a challenge across districts.

Research study in New Brunswick is to better understand what challenges parents face.

>> There is no information telling them there is pre-K-1 and pre-K two.

Different curriculums.

>> She encounters families who have been given wrong information from the friends and family.

>> Somebody tell me that have to enroll my kid at five, when that was not true.

So it's more about social network, and if there new and they have no relatives or no social network at all, it's more difficult for these young families.

>> Some districts are getting it right.

A head start community action program is working with Hoboken to get their Abbot requirement numbers by trying to reach families everywhere they can.

>> Door-to-door, we do the menus at the diners, we do postings in the local grocery stores, at the laundromats.

>> There's other places that potentially we could interact with families on a more regular basis, pediatricians offices, other kinds of community events.

>> Realtors should have it, maybe Hospital should have that information when children are born.

>> These folks would like the state to step up its outreach and all the places families go so they understand the need and the availability of these pre-K programs.

For "NJ Spotlight News", I am Joanna Gagis.

Of 4000 square-foot face will be dedicated to offering things like food assistance, emergency aid, mental and physical wellness support and even connections to state and federal resources.

As part of our ongoing series, hunger in New Jersey, Ted Goldberg has more on the new center that is serving as a one-stop shop for students to feel supported and heard.

>> It's cold out there, but it's nice and warm in here.

Ted: Rutgers is bringing a little more warmth to its New Brunswick campus by opening a basic needs campus.

>> It really tries to get rid of the stigma that is involved with asking for help or basic needs insecurity.

It does make it feel like more of a hub where students can come and feel comfortable shopping and looking around.

>> Students like these are happy to see Rutgers provide stuff like clothing and food for students who desperately need them.

>> My parents are both immigrants from the Philippines.

I have two older brothers and two younger sisters so there's really not much the way for me to get help.

Everything is on my own right now.

>> Ramos is a junior nursing student and is involved with ROTC.

Room and board are on her, and the painter is a huge help.

>> The chicken, the rise, you can make basic meals out of it and it is healthy, too.

There's also a lot of canned vegetables.

A lot of people want to be healthy and you need high-protein things.

You can get that high-protein here.

Ted: The pantry looks more like a grocery store, thanks to contributions from food banks and a donation from ShopRite worth up to $9,000.

They all help Ramos cook up some of her favorite recipes.

>> Chicken teriyaki and rice.

A lot of Asian food since I'm Filipino.

>> She says the food here goes a long way.

>> If you combine everything, you can get four or five meals out of this and that's enough dinner for the week.

And you can come every week.

When you don't have money, every dollar counts.

This place really helped me and probably has saved me hundreds of dollars.

After coming here since last semester.

Ted: The basic needs center also had some free textbooks, private offices come and clothing rack where students can grab three pieces of clothing for free each semester.

>> This blazer cost $60.

That is $60 I could've used on groceries.

Ted: Rutgers increased its tuition and fees by 4% for the current school year are about $300, according to estimates released by the school.

>> The center will serve as a vital hub, providing services and support, addressing food instability, housing security and other needs.

It is compassion, dignity and support, showing that no student at Rutgers has to choose between paying for a meal or purchasing a textbook or keeping a roof over their head are staying involved with her classes.

>> They can stay on track, graduate on time with minimal debt and complete a world-class education.

>> The entire space sends a message, if you need help, it's OK to ask for help.

I know there is a stigma around needing help and something bad.

People here support you and love you and they will help you.

If you need help, just reach out.

Ted: Centers like this are trying to race at stigma and make college a little more affordable.

At Rutgers, I'm Ted Goldberg, "NJ Spotlight News".

Raven: Finally tonight, one week after the men dominated the Super Bowl, women are bringing Tackle football to the garden state.

Today, Mayor Andre Sayegh And community leaders gathered at the historically written -- newly renovated Hinchliffe Stadium to welcome the Jersey shore wave.

Once home to the need baseball league, Paterson is once again at the forefront of becoming the home of an all-female football Frank Reich -- franchise.

They hope to make a splash to advance women's football invite for pay equity with many of the players and support staff working as volunteers.

But the waves promise to put on a show just as good as the Met, maybe even better, and hope Jersey football fans will feel the 10,000 seat Hinchliffe Stadium when they take to the field in the first-ever home game on April 5.

>> To compete at the top levels, that we can have a women's Tackle football team.

[APPLAUSE] And what better place to have it then here at Hinchliffe Stadium, which has always represented the fight for opportunity for so many people.

Raven: That will do it for us tonight.

Before you go, you can download the "NJ Spotlight News" podcast so you can listen to us any.

I'm Raven Santana the entire team at "NJ Spotlight News", thanks for being with us.

Have a great night, and we will see you right back here tomorrow.

Announcer: NJM Insurance Group, serving the insurance needs of residents and businesses for more than 100 years.

And by the PSEG foundation.

>> Look at these kids.

What do you see?

I see myself.

I became an ESL teacher to give my students what I wanted when I came to this country.

The opportunity to learn, to dream, to achieve.

A chance to be an American.

My name is Julia and I'm proud to be an NJEA member.

♪