Paul Bass Photo
John Lugo outside City Hall.
New Haven immigrant rights and social justice organizer John Jairo Lugo heads to Washington, D.C. this week to pick up a national award “for organizing empowered leaders to build a community-wide movement addressing entrenched inequality.”
The “Emerging Change Champion Award” comes from the Center for Community Change. He and other recipients of awards.— including U.S. Rep. John Lewis — will be honored at the group’s 50th anniversary event. (Click here for details on the event.) Melissa Perry is scheduled to emcee the event.
The organization is recognizing Lugo’s work “protecting immigrant families, winning fights against wage theft, and calling for criminal justice reform on a path to systemic change.”
John Lugo and ULA have recovered over $1.5 million for workers whose wages were stolen by employers paying less than CT mandated pay rates.
John and ULA work for immigrant rights on a daily basis, in the cold, the rain and the summer's heat.
What the public doesn't see is the one on one support for immigrants in need of a place to stay, or clothing or food. John works literally day and night.
John and his colleagues at ULA are indefatigable and most worthy of a national award and recognition.
Full disclosure: I represented John Lugo in a case for an alleged noise violation when he was protesting.