Congress Rejects "Costly And Ineffective Enforcement-Only Immigration Amendments"

Washington, DC - In response to the failure of several Republican amendments to the Emergency Supplemental Appropriations bill, Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Executive Vice-President, Eliseo Medina released the following statement:

"Today, the US Senate stood up and said "No" to Republican attempts to throw away desperately needed stimulus dollars on costly and ineffective enforcement-only immigration policies. Once again, Republicans tried to distract us with failed policies that would do nothing to eliminate the underground economy, slow the illegal flow of immigrants across our border or advance the serious economic recovery that working families need. It is unfortunate that some misguided or fearful Democrats voted with the Republicans, although to their credit a sufficient number refused to go along with the charade."

"Instead of solving problems, too many of our leaders want to keep throwing away billions of taxpayer dollars on border walls and ineffective band-aid policies that we know don't work. We cannot continue to escalate spending every year on programs that do nothing to fix our broken immigration laws. The only solution is real reform that will hold bad actor employers accountable for depressing wages, bring undocumented workers out of the shadows and onto the tax rolls, and set future immigration levels according to the needs of our economy. This smart, comprehensive approach is the only way to stop the flow of illegal immigration across the borders and restore fairness for all workers over the long term."

"Americans want action on immigration reform. But we need strong leaders who will champion real solutions that address the causes of our broken immigration system - not simply throw billions of dollars into failed policies to score cheap political points. As the eyes of the world continue to focus on Arizona and our government's continued failure to solve our immigration problems, it's time for Congress and President Obama to step it up. It's time for Democrats and Republicans to roll up their sleeves and get immigration reform done, get it done right, and make sure it works for America."

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SEIU - With 2.2 million members in Canada, the United States and Puerto Rico, SEIU is the fastest-growing union in the Americas. Focused on uniting workers in healthcare, public services and property services, SEIU members are winning better wages, healthcare and more secure jobs for our communities, while uniting their strength with their counterparts around the world to help ensure that workers--not just corporations and CEOs--benefit from today's global economy.