TACOMA, WA — The Service Employees International Union (SEIU) today celebrates Cliona Ward’s release following her arrest and ICE detention in Tacoma, Washington. Cliona is a longtime SEIU Local 2015 member, caregiver, mother, and community leader. She has lived in the U.S. for more than 30 years, is a green card holder, and was separated from her family for weeks despite serving as the primary caregiver for her chronically ill adult son, who is a U.S. citizen.

Cliona’s release comes after a wave of May Day rallies and advocacy across the country led by working people, which included a powerful demonstration this morning outside the Northwest Detention Center in Tacoma where union members, immigrant justice advocates, and community leaders gathered to demand her freedom.

“We are extremely joyful and relieved that Cliona is finally reunited with her sister, Orla Holliday, and will soon be with her son, who is waiting in California for her safe return home, where she truly belongs. Cliona’s release is a direct result of working people coming together and refusing to stay silent in the face of injustice,” said Rocío Sáenz, SEIU Secretary-Treasurer. “Make no mistake—this never should have happened. The Trump administration is using immigration enforcement to silence dissent, break up families, and intimidate union members. And while we celebrate Cliona’s release, we know that other union members, like Lewelyn Dixon, an SEIU Local 925 member and lab technician at the University of Washington remain detained at the same privately-run detention center where Cliona was held. This fight will continue until every immigrant worker is treated with dignity and humanity. We’ll keep organizing, louder and stronger.”

“We’re relieved Cliona is finally free and will soon travel back to California to be reunited with her son, co-workers, and community. But the fight continues. We won’t stop fighting until every immigrant worker targeted by this administration’s agenda is released and protected. Cliona is not just a caregiver—she’s a mother, a union member, and a vital part of her community. Her detention was cruel, unnecessary, and deeply un-American. The trauma of her detention cannot be erased, but today’s victory proves that our voices matter,” said Arnulfo De La Cruz, President of SEIU Local 2015. “That includes the ongoing injustice of our fellow union members who remain in ICE detention. Every member of our union family—regardless of immigration status—deserves to be safe, respected, and free.”

To access photos and a recording of this morning’s press rally outside of the Northwest Detention Center calling on Cliona Ward’s release see here and here. (Photo and video courtesy of SEIU Local 6)

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