Last Tuesday, a smart, bipartisan bill for comprehensive immigration reform moved ahead toward a full vote in the Senate — and that vote could happen in just a matter of weeks.
Unlike six years ago, anti-immigrant conservatives have so far been unable to derail reform.
If there was ever a time to get off the sidelines and immerse yourself in the debate, it’s now.
Hear from SEIU members from around the country as they share their personal stories about why they are building our movement for immigration reform.
Then get on the phone to tell your Senator you support commonsense immigration reform: http://action.seiu.org/calls4cir
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Fixing our broken system to reunite families“My brother is able to acquire visas to visit countries such as Australia and New Zealand twice a year. It is beyond shocking to me that he is unable to get a visa to come here to the United States to visit his 90-year old mother. There should be a clear and fair process for reuniting our families.” – Sylvia Fatima Aho, Washington state caregiver and SEIU Healthcare 775NW member. |
A path to citizenship for 11 million“In Haiti, I was fighting for my country to be like America. But when I got here, every day became a struggle to survive in this country of freedom and liberty. For me, it was nearly 10 years living in the shadows. For others, it’s been 30 or 40.” – Davidson Dessois, Miami, FL taxi driver and security officer; member of SEIU 32BJ |
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Why we must share our stories“As a nurse, I see daily the unsafe living and work conditions that many people experience. And I see the wear and tear of those conditions weighing on people’s health. Turning a blind eye on aspiring citizens is not the solution. ” – Pat Diaz, RN, member of 1199SEIU Florida. |
Getting out the real facts about immigration“My main goal is to inform my fellow union members about the facts and then dispel any misinformation they may have about immigrants. I tell people immigrants contribute $300 million every year to the state in sales and property taxes alone. That gets the attention of state employees, that’s for sure.” – CJ Stephens, retired North Carolina state trooper and SEANC member. |
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Keeping families together“It’s been more than 15 years since I’ve seen my kids. I’m very proud they continue to studying and are fulfilling the dreams I had coming to this country, but at the same time, my heart is very broken because I haven’t been able to be with them.” – Victoria Márquez, an LA janitor and SEIU USW-W member and organizer. |
Correcting a system that allows racism and discrimination to flourish“Some people consider immigrants not even as second-class, probably even a third or fourth class. When you have an attitude of hate like that, it’s basically the same thing that I grew up with in Texas. Immigrants come in all colors and we are all looking basically for the same thing.” – Roy Tyler, member of SEIU United Service Workers West |
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Now it’s time to make your voice heard. Really and truly, there is no bigger impact you can have during this momentous debate than to make phone calls to your member(s) of Congress. We make it easy for you – just click here to be connected with your Senator.
Be sure to tell him or her that you support commonsense immigration reform that includes a roadmap to citizenship for 11 million aspiring Americans. Make the call now.