Why We Must Stand with Immigrant Workers
We need a roadmap to citizenship for all who want to be one.
Sec.-Treas. Laura ReyesMoments after he was sworn into office for the second time, Pres. Barack Obama spoke these words, “Our journey is not complete until we find a better way to welcome the striving, hopeful immigrants who still see America as a land of opportunity.”
We’ve known for a long time that our immigration system is broken, that too many aspiring citizens get trapped in a line with no end, that too many families are being torn apart. Members of Congress have tried to mend it with bills that haven’t worked. But this year, with the President’s support, Congress will look at a comprehensive approach to fix our immigration system and work to create a clear path to citizenship for the 11 million immigrants living in this country.
Here’s what is in it for us. When corporate tyrants are able to exploit workers, everyone’s wages and working conditions suffer and our economy suffers. Even further, exploitive employers have created an underground economy to avoid paying taxes, which deprives our communities of much-needed revenue. With a path to citizenship, the wage floor will rise for all workers and our economy will grow for all people.
Our History
We marched alongside Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in the Civil Rights Movement. We stood on picket lines to demand equal pay for women. We rallied outside of capitol after capitol to protect our rights as union members. Each of these fights was a fight to preserve the values at the core of our union and our nation – dignity, respect and fairness. These are the values at stake in the fight for immigration reform.
We aren’t joining in this fight because of what’s in it for us. We aren’t even joining in this fight because of our history in struggles of solidarity. We are joining in this fight because of the stories of our own sisters and brothers.
Our Stories
We must look to the home care provider in California, who prays that no one learns that she is undocumented so she can continue to care for her ailing child. We must look to the medical interpreter in Washington, who helps keep his community healthy by keeping undocumented families healthy, too. We must look to the human services worker in Minnesota, who has to deliver the bad news that she can only provide aid to the children who are citizens and not the ones who aren’t. We must look to the sanitation worker in Florida, who lives miles away from his family and struggles to capture the American Dream for them.
These stories, these members are the reason AFSCME will fight for a clear path to citizenship for immigrant workers in this country. No matter your reason, we hope you will join us in this fight.
