For Immediate Release
January 26, 2017
Contact: Steve Smith 510-326-4644

Statement by California Labor Federation Executive Secretary-Treasurer Art Pulaski on Trump Administration Immigration Actions

Yesterday’s executive orders will cause havoc among countless families in California and across America. These actions will separate children from their parents and empower unscrupulous employers to exploit immigrant workers.

The executive orders open the door for mass workplace raids, creating a climate of fear for our state’s 2.4 million immigrants. It’s our job as a labor movement to protect the rights of all our state’s workforce and we’ll be working with the legislature and Gov. Brown to find solutions that safeguard immigrant employees.

While yesterday’s actions didn’t address the future of the children of immigrants known as DREAMers, these young people are also at risk. We call on President Trump to continue the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program that allows young people to stay in this country to get an education and pursue the American Dream. We will vigorously oppose any effort to end DACA or otherwise destroy the dreams.

In California, we pride ourselves on our rich immigrant history and diversity that’s made us one of the strongest economies in the world. Attacking immigrants erodes the core principles upon which America was founded and shreds the fabric of our state. The California labor movement joins leaders in the legislature and Gov. Brown in declaring that we will vigorously Oppose any federal actions to rip apart immigrant families.

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The California Labor Federation is made up of more than 1,200 AFL-CIO and Change to Win unions, representing 2.1 million union members in manufacturing, retail, construction, hospitality, public sector, health care, entertainment and other industries.