More political gamesmanship from Governor Brewer, or is she ready to offer real solutions?

Hundreds of SEIU members and advocates will gather outside the White House to protest SB 1070 and support comprehensive immigration reform.

Washington, DC - In anticipation of today's meeting between President Barack Obama and Arizona Governor Jan Brewer, Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Executive Vice-President Eliseo Medina released the following statement:

"When Arizona Governor Jan Brewer signed the radical anti-immigrant bill SB 1070 into law, she set off a firestorm of national and international criticism and focused all eyes on our broken immigration system. Unfortunately, it was a bill largely designed to energize the Republican Party base during primary season at the expense of immigrants. This political gamesmanship will cost her state and local communities dearly in these difficult economic times, but do nothing to solve the immigration crisis.

"Governor Brewer has shown that she's not interested in real solutions. Instead of encouraging her senators, John McCain and Jon Kyl, to come to the table and work with the President and Democrats in Congress, she has helped create a political environment in her state that makes a real conversation about how to address our broken immigration system impossible.

"So why is she in Washington? Is this another political ploy? Has the negative attention garnered by SB 1070 given her second thoughts? We can only hope.

"Working families want serious solutions to our immigration problems. In the absence of leadership from the federal government on this issue, people want action. However, SB 1070 is the wrong solution to a very real problem. We cannot afford laws that undermine public safety, waste millions of taxpayer funds, and imperil our most basic civil rights. Arizona's SB 1070, was a wake-up call to leaders in Washington that our national immigration crisis requires a national solution.

"It's time for Republicans and Democrats in Congress and the White House to prove that they are truly committed to fixing our broken immigration system and are willing to put politics aside to lead on this critical issue. Until Republicans stop blocking real reform and instead work to pass comprehensive reform legislation, we will see more senseless legislation like SB 1070 in states across the country."

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

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