Sadie Fleming logged a monster double-double with 27 points and 14 rebounds to lead Manville to a 51-45 win over Highland Park.

Manville (13-12) jumped out to a 12-8 lead in the first quarter and doubled it heading into halftime.

Hailey Bentz finished with 10 points and 11 rebounds. Molly Weber totaled seven rebounds and four steals.

Highland Park (11-14) cut into the lead into the third quarter before Manville closed it out in the fourth.

Ava Kohler led Highland Park with 24 points.

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Greg Patuto can be reached at gpatuto@njadvancemedia.com.

HIGHLAND PARK - For Rev. Seth Kaper-Dale, co-pastor of The Reformed Church of Highland Park and founder and CEO of RCHP-Affordable Housing Corp. (RCHP-AHC), the news that the Trump Administration issued a "cease and desist" order to cut funding for new refugee and immigrant arrivals was a surprise and an "egregious betrayal."

"We have no choice," Kaper-Dale said. "After 10 years of excellence and growth, we are being stripped bare by this administration as are the beautiful people we seek to serve."

"Many of these refugees have waited in camps for years, finally being welcomed into this country in the past month or so. What now?" he said.

'We're completely nervous'

Though its Interfaith Refugee and Immigrant Settlement Services and Empowerment (Interfaith-RISE) program, RCHP-AHC works with thousands of refugees. Interfaith-RISE works with the federal Department of Health and Human Services' Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) for refugees who have been vetted and cleared by the State Department and Homeland Security.

Interfaith-RISE has signed contracts for commitments to these new arrivals, Kaper-Dale said.

"This includes Afghan families who arrived two, three days before the inauguration," he said. "It includes Congolese families that arrived in December. It includes Syrian families that arrived in early January. This program that they canceled is the one that supports people through the first three months of their arrival. And we were told, 'Nope, don't. You can't use any federal monies to help them with the start of their their life here.' "

Interfaith-RISE also has been helping humanitarian arrivals from Haiti, Cuba and Ukraine.

"This is where they get their services that help them become self-sufficient," Kaper-Dale said. "And that's the whole focus of Interfaith-RISE. All of refugee resettlement is based on this idea that some help upfront will lead folks to get the opportunity to take care of themselves. It's a burst of positivity on the front end, so as to make people have a chance at self-sufficiency faster. We really just help connect the dots so that people who are absolutely capable of thriving can get that help."

Kaper-Dale said the organization serves 3,000 clients who are refugees.

"We were to immediately cease operations that involved using State Department funds − for which we have a signed agreement through September 2025 − to support even the most newly arrived refugees," Kaper-Dale said. "That surprised us."

These programs include assistance with affordable housing, English language proficiency, cultural orientation, case management and access to social and mental health services, healthcare services and employment training.

At 5 p.m. Friday, the organization's offices in Highland Park, Asbury Park, Neptune, Trenton, Hamilton and Vineland were served with "cease and desist" orders. The notice was sent to all refugee resettlement agencies in the country who discovered they could not "provide any care to refugees... period," Kaper-Dale said.

The organization still has ORR funds.

"That's why we didn't have to fire everyone and we have different programs that are out of that pot of money," Kaper-Dale said. "But of course, now we're completely nervous. There's absolutely no reason why this program should have been chopped the way it was from the State Department. So what's going to keep them from chopping the one from Health and Human Services? We just have a lot of a lot of real uncertainty now."

More:NJ families in a 'state of desperation' as Trump suspends refugee admissions

The Trump Administration's decision has thrown Interfaith-RISE into a tailspin, Kaper-Dale said.

To combat this "attack" which slashed the organization's budget by nearly 40%, Interfaith-RISE has laid off 20% of its staff as well as reduced another 20% of its workforce from full-time to part-time.

The organization, which leases 280 apartments in the state, now faces a $200,000 monthly shortfall for rent alone.

And it's happened at a time when the client base is expanding.

In the new fiscal year which began Oct. 1, Interfaith-RISE was slated to help the largest number of refugees since its inception in 2016.

Until 2020, Interfaith-Rise resettled about 40 to 100 refugees annually. Then the numbers started going up, particularly due to the changing political situation in Afghanistan. This year, the number was expected to rise.

"We resettled 200 and then 300 and then this past year 500 refugees, and this year we were ready to resettle 800 refugees," he said. "We had opened new offices in Asbury Park and Trenton so as to deepen the number of places where we could rent housing to just spread out the wealth of the benefits brought by new arrivals, and we had received about nearly 200 by the time the president was sworn in. We were deeply upset, but not surprised that on the day of his inauguration, he signed an order pausing the reception and placement program as the refugee resettlement program. That didn't surprise us. He seemed to want to shut down lots of things that had to do with 'outsiders'."

A blessing, not a burden

Refugees and immigrants are a blessing, not a burden, Kaper-Dale said. And their contributions have enriched New Jersey.

According to Kaper-Dale, at least 85% of the refugees supported by Interfaith-RISE are fully self-sufficient in six months.

"So the benefits to the New Jersey economy, the fact that we've blossomed over these last few years, it's not accidental that it's coincided with high refugee and humanitarian parolee arrival numbers," he said. "The president's raids and behaviors right now and the negativity toward refugees isn't just a hit on the individuals themselves, it's a hit on the entire modus operandi for the state. It's interrupting what has otherwise been a pretty, beautiful and smooth operating location."

Cutting these programs creates a false scenario that refugees are a burden, Kaper-Dale said.

"There is so much that is wrong about the presentation of who refugees, humanitarian parolees and asylum seekers are," Kaper-Dale said. "The word 'illegal' is being flung around faster and more irresponsibly than ever before. They paint with a wide brush, blurring the lines between different situations that sort-of are kind-of related and they end up with sweeping claims that lead to fear and the inability for the public to think straight."

"This time around, if you chop the money for folks at the beginning, it's going to be a struggle, and there will be less people who are able to become contributing members of New Jersey, and instead, they'll be forced to be in a situation of of need, not because they should have been, but because of the decisions of the government," he said. "This government wants them to fail. This government wants them to look as bad as they can."

Interfaith-RISE has put out an emergency financial request for support from the community. All proceeds will go directly to support rent, food, transport and legal expenses for new arrivals, Kaper-Dale said.

To donate, go to interfaithrise.org/donate.

email: cmakin@gannettnj.com

Cheryl Makin is an award-winning features and education reporter forMyCentralJersey.com, part of the USA Today Network. Contact: Cmakin@gannettnj.com or@CherylMakin. To get unlimited access, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.

Like many faith leaders in New Jersey’s houses of worship, Rev. Seth Kaper-Dale said he feels alarmed.

Like a beacon, his Highland Park church draws immigrants seeking shelter from persecution worldwide, and helps hundreds of them resettle around New Jersey. The Reformed Church of Highland Park had relied on a church’s special status as a sanctuary — like schools and hospitals — long considered off-limits to federal agents.

But President Donald Trump rescinded that policy this week.

“They’re doing a game, that is not our game. We’re interested in saying immigrants and refugees are a blessing — not a burden,” Kaper-Dale said. “We were not going to have physical sanctuary offered to immigrants in this church, even though we’ve done it many times in the past. And we’re actually a leader in that, nationally.”

In fact, during the first Trump administration, several Christian Indonesian refugees fled their New Jersey homes and moved into Kaper-Dale’s church, after U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement suddenly started deporting members of their community during routine document checks. For months, the church served as a shield and a symbol. But now, he said the president’s new policy has led to the abrupt cancellation of permits for some 600 refugees expected by his ministry.

Homeland Security announced: “Criminals will no longer be able to hide in America’s schools and churches to avoid arrest. The Trump administration will not tie the hands of our brave law enforcement, and instead trusts them to use common sense.” New Jersey social media is also full with posts of the ICE Tip Line, urging “Report Illegal Aliens.”

The pastor said he fears for his staff. “I am less concerned about challenging government, than I am concerned about freewheeling people who seem like they want to take matters into their own hands,” he said. “They scare me more than the president does.”

Faith leaders are wrestling with the same dilemma at houses of worship across New Jersey and the nation. They’re mindful of their sacred duty to offer safe haven, but they’re also aware of a new extremism.

“The community is afraid, to a point where people are worried about going to work, they’re scared of sending their children to school, kids are afraid to go to school, because of the actions of the new administration,” says Courtney Madsen, regional director of Church World Services, another refugee settlement agency.

About 60 arrived before Trump shut down the program, leaving more than 130 refugees stranded. Advocates said these refugees are not criminals, and they’ve gone through extensive U.S. government background and medical checks.

With the resettlement program suspended, church sanctuary status revoked, and ICE raids expanded, Kaper-Dale said he will keep telling his own truth: a nation built by immigrants flourishes when they are welcome.

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HIGHLAND PARK - Ashton Burrell, who was honored Saturday with the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Human and Civil Rights Award by the New Jersey Education Association (NJEA), downplays why he received the "incredible honor."

"This isn’t about me," Burrell said. "It’s all God, and I’m thankful to be used for God’s purposes in making a difference in so many different paths of life."

A Highland Park native, Burrell, 32, has a life's mission to mentor youth, advocate for social justice and empower underserved communities.

Burrell, named to the New Jersey State Council on Human Relations in 2014, is the youngest chairman of the board and has served in that role since 2018.

More:Highland Park's Ashton Burrell wins New Jersey Governor’s Jefferson Award for 2020

Also the founder of Hometownheroclub and the L.I.V.E. Mentorship Program (LMP), he has dedicated more than a decade to uplifting young people from diverse backgrounds.

L.I.V.E., which stands for "Life In Visions of Evolution," was created in 2011 while Burrell was a sophomore at Lincoln University, the nation's first degree-granting Historically Black College and University. He traveled every Tuesday from the college in Oxford, Pennsylvania to Highland Park to conduct L.I.V.E. meetings for young men ages 9 to 19. He later added a mentoring program for young women.

The focus of the program is to develop future leaders so they earn their high school diplomas, advance to professional or academic circles, and ultimately become of service to their local communities.

Since founding LMP, Burrell has mentored 3,000 young individuals, with a 100% graduation rate from the program.

More:March in Highland Park to stop the killing

But Burrell’s impact on the community extends far beyond mentorship.

A passionate advocate for social justice, he has organized marches and rallies for judicial equity, promoted fair hiring practices, and called for greater diversity in corporate leadership. Beyond Central Jersey, he has coordinated hurricane relief efforts and community service projects across the country.

As chairman of the New Jersey State Council on Human Relations, Burrell’s work continues to shape policy and drive positive change.

His commitment to human rights is shown by his roles on the Executive Board of the New Brunswick Branch of the NAACP, the Highland Park Mayor’s Advisory Committee, and as a member of the Democratic Committee of Highland Park.

More:Justice sought at rally for detained Indonesians

In 2018, Burrell opened a community center − Zone 6 Teen Center − in his hometown, which has become a hub for youth development and empowerment.

Through this initiative, Burrell has helped more than 200 children graduate. He has also launched multiple programs, including a food distribution service that feeds more than 300 people weekly.

In partnership with Alpha Aviation, Burrell has also introduced local youth to aviation and drone technology, while his basketball and mentorship programs − Shoot Hoops Not Guns and L.I.V.E. − have extended to youth centers in Connecticut, Detroit and Philadelphia.

Shoot Hoops Not Guns is a basketball youth program to help combat gun violence throughout inner city communities.

More:Ashton Burrell's Shoot Hoops Not Guns basketball game to go on three-city tour

"We change the trajectory of these young people by reinforcing fundamentals of life, introducing concepts required for adulthood, and emphasizing the value of loving one another," Burrell said. "I believe in taking what was poured into me, then pouring it into them, so they can pour it into others."In addition to his community service, Burrell has worked with the New Jersey Attorney General’s Office, providing opportunities for high school students to explore careers in law enforcement.Burrell’s commitment to justice and community service has earned him several accolades, including the Johnson & Johnson MLK Community Service Award, the NAACP New Brunswick Branch President’s Award, and the New Jersey Governor's Jefferson Award for Leadership and Innovation in 2020.

This latest award, selected by the NJEA Human and Civil Rights Committee, recognizes individuals who have made significant contributions to the defense of human and civil rights.email: cmakin@gannettnj.com

Cheryl Makin is an award-winning features and education reporter forMyCentralJersey.com, part of the USA Today Network. Contact: Cmakin@gannettnj.com or@CherylMakin. To get unlimited access, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.