Thousands of SEIU Janitors, Security Officers, Healthcare and State Workers Will Rally Across the Country to Call for Real Solutions for a Broken Immigration System

Members from AZ, CA, FL, MA, MN, NY, TX to call on President Obama and Congress to focus on comprehensive solutions to immigration reform instead of pushing costly, ineffective enforcement-only policies

WASHINGTON, May 28 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- When members of Congress return home next week for the Memorial Day recess, they will be greeted by thousands of SEIU members rallying for comprehensive immigration reform.  SEIU janitors, security officers, healthcare and state workers – along with allies from the faith, labor and Civil Rights communities – will deliver a simple message: our system is broken; the need for comprehensive immigration reform is urgent and we expect both Democrats and Republicans to lead on this issue.

At a time when state and local governments are facing budget crises, enforcement-only policies like SB 1070 force municipalities to divert money away from key public services.  Even so, Republican state legislators across the country and Republicans in Congress continue proposing SB 1070 copycat legislation laden with enforcement measures that fail to address the real problems that sustain a broken immigration system. Politicians are left with a clear choice: enforcement-heavy policies that cost taxpayers millions of dollars or comprehensive solutions that fix our broken system and produce economic gain.

These Memorial Day recess actions further escalate two weeks of civil disobedience and other action by SEIU members and leaders in Miami, Seattle, Chicago, New York and Indiana that drew attention to the urgent need for reform.

Memorial Day Recess Activities

WHAT:  Thousands of SEIU members in cities across the country

WHO:  Janitors, nurses, home care providers, public sector workers, security officers; immigrants and native-born workers

WHERE:   Locations of Memorial Day Recess Events are as follows –

Phoenix, AZ (May 29, 2010 at 10:00 AM): March from Indian Steal Park beginning at 10:00 AM; Rally in front of the Statehouse at 1:00 PM

Los Angeles, CA (May 31, 2010 at 4:30 PM): Arizona Boycott Protest at the Los Angeles Dodgers Stadium; Elysian Park Avenue entrance at Dodger's Stadium

Oakland, CA (June 3, 2010 at 12:30 PM): Rally outside of Immigrations and Customs Enforcements (ICE) offices at 1301 Clay Street

Sacramento, CA (June 3, 2010 at 12:30 PM): Rally outside of Immigrations and Customs Enforcements (ICE) offices at 650 Capitol Mall

San Francisco, CA (June 3, 2010 at 4:00 PM): Rally outside of Immigrations and Customs Enforcements (ICE) offices at 630 Sansome Street

San Jose, CA (June 3, 2010 at 12:30 PM): Rally outside of Immigrations and Customs Enforcements (ICE) offices at 1887 Monterey Road

Boston, MA (June 3, 2010 at 12:00 PM): March from the Massachusetts Statehouse to the office of United States Senator Scott Brown

St. Paul, MN (May 29, 2010 at 12:00 PM): Rally against Arizona's SB 1070 at the Bishop Henry Whippler Federal Building in St. Paul

New York, NY (June 1, 2010 at 11:30 AM): Protest and Civil Disobedience outside of the New York Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) offices at 26 Federal Plaza

New York, NY (June 3, 2010 at 3:00 PM): Screening of abused: The Postville Raid a feature length documentary telling the story of one of the largest most controversial immigration raids in US history; 275 Seventh Avenue, Manhattan

MEDIA NOTES:

To speak directly with SEIU members and leaders prior to the Memorial Recess marches and rallies, please contact Christopher Nulty at [email protected] or at (202) 730-7686

With 2.2 million members in Canada, the United States and Puerto Rico, SEIU is the fastest-growing union in the Americas and the largest union of immigrants. Focused on uniting workers in healthcare, public services and property services, SEIU members are winning better wages, healthcare and more secure jobs for our communities, while uniting their strength with their counterparts around the world to help ensure that workers--not just corporations and CEOs--benefit from today's global economy. 

SOURCE Service Employees International Union