SEIU Statement on Dobbs' Resignation: Dobbs No Longer Fanning the Flames of Hate at CNN

Nov 12, 2009 - In response to yesterday's announcement that Lou Dobbs is resigning from his position as anchor on CNN effective immediately, SEIU issued the following statement... Read more...

SEIU Statement on ICE Enforcement in the Twin Cities

Nov 10, 2009 - Washington, DC--SEIU issued the following statement regarding ICE enforcement in the Twin Cities: "Enforcement without comprehensive reform is like redecorating when the house is on fire. Instead of solving problems, it only succeeds in pushing undocumented workers away from responsible... Read more...

Death of Vitter-Bennett Amendment to Wreck the Census is a Victory for Workers, Victory for America

Nov 05, 2009 - After weeks of organizing against the Vitter-Bennett amendment with the Don't Wreck the Census campaign, today the Senate voted for cloture, 60-39, on the Commerce, Justice, and Science Appropriations bill. Read more...

SEIU Members Join Thousands at U.S. Capitol to Renew Push for Comprehensive Immigration Reform

Oct 13, 2009 - Today, over 400 SEIU members joined fellow activists and religious leaders for a day of religious ceremonies and visits with lawmakers to urge Congress to advance legislation that will overhaul the U.S.'s broken immigration policies. Read more...

Former Census Directors Warn that Vitter Amendment would Severely Damage 2010 Census, Cost Billions

Oct 13, 2009 - Yesterday, five former U.S. Census Directors, who oversaw the U.S. Census process since 1973, expressed in a statement their grave concerns about a proposed amendment by Senator David Vitter (LA-R) to the Fiscal Year 2010 Commerce, Justice, and Science Appropriations bill that would add a new question on citizenship and immigration status to the 2010 census. Read more...

Thousands of DREAM Students Shine Light on Broken Immigration System, Hold Over 120 "Back to School" Events Nationwide

Sep 23, 2009 - Today thousands of immigrant students held over 120 events in 28 states to support legislation that would allow talented DREAM students who view this country as their own to attend college, serve their nation, and earn a path to U.S. citizenship. Read more...

SEIU Denounces Anti-Immigrant Hate Speech

Sep 14, 2009 - Today the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), America's Voice Educational Fund, Center for New Community, and the Campaign for Community Change launched a print ad denouncing known hate group, FAIR (the Federation for American Immigration Reform) for poisoning the healthcare and immigration debates with bigoted, xenophobic hate speech. Read more...

Immigrant and Labor Groups Announce Citizenship Push to Help Applicants Overcome Economic Barriers, Boost Naturalization Rates

Sep 11, 2009 - Today--less than a week before National Citizenship Day on September 17--ya es hora ¡Ciudadania! (Citizenship: It's Time!), national community partners and the National Korean American Service & Education Consortium (NAKASEC) announced that more than 25 citizenship events are being held across the country this September to help thousands of eligible immigrants apply for U.S. citizenship. Read more...

MEDIA ADVISORY for September 11th: National Immigrant, Civil Rights and Labor Groups to Discuss Continued Increase in U.S. Naturalizations, Despite Economic Hurdles

Sep 08, 2009 - In honor of National Citizenship Day, ya es hora ¡Ciudadania! (Citizenship: It's Time!) partners--the NALEO Educational Fund, NCLR and SEIU will join the National Korean American Service & Education Consortium (NAKASEC) for a telephonic press briefing on Friday, September 11 to preview more than 25 citizenship workshops planned nationwide this month. Read more...

Foundation Laid for Needed Immigration Reform

Aug 20, 2009 - Today, joined by other labor, advocacy, faith and business leaders, Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Executive Vice President Eliseo Medina will meet with Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano to lay the groundwork on immigration reform. Read more...

Another DREAMer Deportation Deferred

Jul 24, 2009 - oday, after just 24 hours of letters and calls by Senators Robert Menendez and Frank Lautenberg and hundreds of grassroots activists, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) deferred the deportation of Taha, an 18-year-old honor student from Jersey City. As a result of DHS's actions, Taha will be allowed to finish college and continue his dream to become a pediatrician. Read more...

Schumer Moves Ball Forward on Immigration Reform

Jul 21, 2009 - SEIU commends Senator Schumer and members of the Judiciary Subcommittee for rolling up their sleeves and starting to lay the groundwork for a thoughtful, solution-driven debate on comprehensive immigration reform this fall. Yet, the current E-Verify program needs significant improvements before it can serve as an effective component of comprehensive reform. Read more...

U.S. Senate's Expansion of Reckless E-Verify System is Harmful for All Workers

Jul 08, 2009 - Today the U.S. Senate passed an amendment by Senator Jeff Sessions to the Homeland Security Appropriations Bill to permanently mandate use of the E-Verify employment verification system for all employees of Federal contractors. SEIU, which scored the vote, has long opposed the expansion of a program that has repeatedly been proven to be flawed and costly by the Social Security Administration and the Congressional Budget Office. Read more...

Walter Lara Independence Day Victory!

Jul 02, 2009 - Today, after 48 hours of intense activism by Congressional Leaders, bloggers, and thousands of grassroots activists who made calls and sent letters on Walter Lara's behalf, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) moved to defer 23-year old Lara's scheduled deportation back one year until July 3, 2010. Read more...

SEIU Statement on White House Immigration Meeting

Jun 25, 2009 - Today, President Barack Obama met with a bipartisan group of Congressional leaders to discuss steps for passing comprehensive immigration reform. Read more...

Passage of the DREAM Act Will Allow Next Generation of Leaders to Achieve Their Own American Dream

Jun 23, 2009 - Today, with the U.S. Capitol's Statue of Freedom reaching to the sky behind them, more than 500 students from across the country took part in a symbolic graduation ceremony to urge Congress to support our nation's future leaders by passing the DREAM Act. Read more...

Reform Immigration FOR America Campaign Launched to Spearhead National Immigration Reform Effort

Jun 03, 2009 - At today's press conference, leaders of labor unions, business coalitions, civil rights and religious groups, and pro-immigrant advocacy organizations announced the Reform Immigration FOR America campaign--an effort to focus the political power of these diverse constituencies and give the American people a way to communicate their broad support for comprehensive immigration reform directly to lawmakers in Washington. Read more...

SEIU: Today's SPLC Report Is "A Wakeup Call" For America

Apr 21, 2009 - SEIU International Executive Vice-President Eliseo Medina released the following statement on today's report by the Southern Poverty Law Center examining the discrimination and abuse of Hispanic workers in the South: Read more...

Change to Win And AFL-CIO Unveil Unified Immigration Reform Framework

Apr 14, 2009 - Change to Win and the AFL-CIO today unveiled a unified framework for comprehensive immigration reform legislation. The joint announcement and proposal is a critical sign of support for the Administration and Congress to address immigration reform - and to ensure that it remains a priority on the legislative calendar. Read more...

Hilda Solis Will Stand for Justice, Open Doors for Millions of Workers in America

Jan 09, 2009 - "At this critical juncture in our great nation, I cannot think of anyone more qualified than Representative Hilda Solis to re-establish the U.S. Labor Department's priorities of justice, fairness, and equal opportunity for all workers," said SEIU Executive Vice President Eliseo Medina today, in his statement of support for Representative Hilda Solis's confirmation as U.S. Secretary of Labor: Read more...

SEIU Statement on Bush's Proposed H2A Changes That Will Put U.S. Farm Worker Jobs in Jeopardy

Dec 17, 2008 - "The Bush Administration's proposed changes to the H2A guest worker program are the wrong policies at the wrong time by making it easier for big business to exploit some of the lowest-paid workers in the country," said SEIU Executive VP Eliseo Medina in a statement released today. Read more...

SEIU Condemns Criminalization of Immigrant Workers and Renews the Call for Smart, Pragmatic Reform

Jul 24, 2008 - Today the House Judiciary Committee's Subcommittee on Immigration, Citizenship, Refugees and International Law held a hearing on the government's handling of immigration raids and criminalization of immigrant workers. Below is a statement from SEIU Executive Vice President Eliseo Medina. Read more...

STATEMENT OF THE SERVICE EMPLOYEES INTERNATIONAL UNION TO U.S. House Ways and Means Social Security Subcommittee ON THE SECURE AMERICA THROUGH VERIFICATION AND ENFORCEMENT ACT

May 06, 2008 - The Service Employees International Union (SEIU) is strongly opposed to The Secure America through Verification and Enforcement Act ("SAVE Act,"HR 4088). We are particularly concerned about the cost of the Act to the federal government and the burden that it will place on many American workers and those legally authorized to work in the United States. Read more...

SEIU Warns of the Disastrous Impact on All Working People and Renews the Call for Smart, Pragmatic Reform

May 06, 2008 - Today the House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Social Security convened a hearing on the employer verification system proposed in the Shuler/Tancredo Secure America through Verification and Enforcement (SAVE) Act. In response, SEIU issued a formal statement before the subcommittee, and SEIU Executive Vice President Eliseo Medina issued the following statement: Read more...

Eliseo Medina Testimony on Naturalization Backlog Before House Judiciary Subcommittee

Jan 17, 2008 - The Service Employees International Union (SEIU), on behalf of its more than 1.9 million members, thanks the U.S House of Representatives Subcommittee on Citizenship, Refugees, Border Security and International Law for holding this hearing. Read more...

SEIU Lays Out Measures to Reduce Naturalization Backlog and Help New Citizens Vote in 2008

Jan 17, 2008 - "If the Bush administration truly believes America is stronger and more dynamic when new citizens are welcomed, it will make sure that USCIS processes the hundreds of thousands of citizenship applications trapped in a snarl of red tape and government bureaucracy,"said Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Executive Vice President Eliseo Medina, upon submitting testimony to the House Subcommittee on Citizenship, Refugees, Border Security and International Law on how to reduce the naturalization backlog that may block hundreds of thousands of citizenship applicants from voting in the 2008 Elections. Read more...

National Citizenship Coalition Surpasses One Million Goal; 2007 Citizenship Applications Highest In A Decade

Jan 07, 2008 - Today, the Ya es Hora: Ciudadania! (Citizenship, It's Time!) Campaign announced that it surpassed its goal of helping mobilize more than one million eligible immigrants to apply for U.S. citizenship in 2007. Read more...

Another DREAM Deferred

Oct 24, 2007 - This afternoon, the Senate voted down the DREAM Act, a bill that would help immigrant children who attend college or serve in the military legalize their status. This vote exposes the failed leadership of Senate Democrats and Republicans, who have allowed nativist anti-immigrant hate speech to overwhelm reason on the immigration reform debate. Below is a statement by SEIU Executive Vice President Eliseo Medina responding to the failed cloture vote. Read more...

SEIU Testifies Before House Judiciary Subcommittee Against Illegal USCIS Immigrant Service Fee Hike

Sep 20, 2007 - Today, Rhadames Rivera, Vice President of SEIU Healthcare Local 1199 UHE, testified before the House Subcommittee on Citizenship, Refugees, Border Security and International Law on the negative impact that the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) fee hike will have on the union's immigrant members. Read more...