Hartford– As Congress finalizes sweeping immigration reform, a dozen janitors and security officers from up and down the east coast, including Connecticut, will be sharing their personal experiences with lawmakers over the next few weeks as part of a larger effort to ensure passage of fair and sensible legislation. Men and women from an invisible workforce that often cleans and protects buildings at night are weighing in at a crucial moment with stories of how pieces of the bill will impact their lives.

On Thursday, May 23, Congressman Jim Himes (CT-4) will hear from Edwin Santiago whose neighbor was arrested after an American driver ran a stop sign and hit his car. Santiago will also tell Himes about a woman he knows who was raped by the coyotes on her way here but felt even worse about the discrimination she faced once she got here.

“I’ve had my own experiences as an immigrant in this country and I am here to share them with my representative,” said Edwin Santiago of Bridgeport, CT. “We are all here, united to talk to our Congress members and ensure we pass commonsense immigration reform that keep families united.”

Immigrant and non-immigrant members of 32BJ SEIU from Connecticut, Florida, Maryland, New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania are spending two weeks in Washington testifying, lobbying, attending committee hearings, participating in press events, blogging about their experiences and engaging in social media campaigns.

From May 13 through May 25, workers will learn all of the elements of legislative advocacy and how to lead other workers and immigration reform activists in their hometowns when they return from Washington.

###