Federal Action is the Only Way to End our Illegal Immigration Problems

Washington, DC - Today the Department of Justice (DOJ) announced that it is filing a lawsuit against the state of Arizona for its radical, costly and unconstitutional law--SB1070. In response, SEIU Executive Vice President Eliseo Medina issued the following statement:

DOJ has arrived in the nick of time to stop the ticking time bomb set by Arizona Republicans. There is no question that we need serious solutions to address our broken immigration system, but a 50-state patchwork of ineffective, conflicting and costly state laws won't work.

"As frustration mounts over Congress' failure to address our broken immigration system, we cannot by fooled by false prophets. Arizonans--just like all Americans--deserve real immigration solutions, not political maneuvers that drain limited state coffers, violate basic civil rights, but fail to solve the problem.

"America needs federal immigration reform that will uphold our nation's values, strengthen our economy and move us forward together. But Republicans, including Arizona Senator John McCain, keep blocking workable reform. Pushing an extremist, anti-immigrant agenda may score Republicans some cheap political points in November, but it won't do anything to address the drug smugglers on the border, restore the rule of law, or target the abusive employers who benefit from today's failed system.

"Until we see a comprehensive fix to our immigration problems, enforcement-only bills like Arizona's SB 1070 will continue to make the problems worse, not better. Instead of pushing costly legislation that has become a lightning rod for hate, the Republicans must decide NOW whether they want to deliver the real solutions that Arizonans and all Americans are clamoring for."

Background for Reports:
SEIU Lawsuit against Arizona: On May 17, SEIU joined UFCW and other major civil rights groups to file a class action lawsuit that charges that SB1070 violates the First Amendment and interferes with federal law and is therefore unenforceable. Read more.

Projected Costs of Arizona's SB1070: From across the country, police chiefs, state legislators, faith leaders, and business groups have stood up against SB1070 and its many copycats because they fear troubling and costly ramifications to the state. Read cost analysis by Immigration Policy Center.

What Polling of SB1070 Really Shows: Recent public opinion polling in the wake of Arizona passing SB1070 confirms what we have known for a long time: American voters are angry and increasingly fed up with Congress' continued failure to fix our broken immigration system. But while voters want action, they have a strong preference for comprehensive, federal action. While 60 percent of Arizona voters express support for SB1070, a whopping 73 percent also support federal reform that includes both enforcement and a path to citizenship. Read SEIU poll conducted by Project New West.

SEIU Fights Back against a Flawed Solution to a Serious Problem: In response to SB1070, SEIU joined labor unions and major civil rights group to issue a boycott of major events in Arizona. SEIU has also led an active grassroots campaign of thousands of SEIU members who have responded with direct action outside baseball stadiums, statehouses and ICE offices across the country. To learn more, go to www.ItStopsInArizona.com.

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.

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