The following statement can be attributed to Hector Figueroa President of 32BJ SEIU, one of the largest unions representing immigrant workers in the country:
“Trump’s cosmetic tweaks to the Muslim ban don’t change the fact that banning immigrants from Muslim-majority countries, and blocking entry of asylum-seekers, are horrendous ideas that run counter to our identity as a nation and our core values as Americans.
“The Trump administration is trying to convince our country that immigrants pose a unique threat. But the disconnection between immigrants and crime bears repeating. Study after study, performed across decades, have shown that immigrants commit crimes at lower rates than native-born U.S. residents.
“Most Americans know that immigrants are not just an essential part of our communities; immigrants are what define America. We are a nation of values, founded on an idea — that all men and women are created equal. We hold these truths to be self-evident that all people have rights, no matter what they look like or where they came from. We believe that families should stick together, that we should look out for each other, and that hard work should be rewarded. It’s not about what you look like or where you were born that makes you American — it’s about how you live your life and what you do that defines you here in this country.”
With more than 163,000 members, 32BJ SEIU is the largest property service workers union in the country.