Following is a statement by SEIU President Mary Kay Henry who for the next 24 hours is fasting in solidarity with Eliseo Medina, the Rev. Samuel Rodriguez, of the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference, Dae Joon Yoon of the National Korean American Service and Education Consortium, Sang Hyug Jung, a Korean immigrant father of two DACA children, and Christian Avila of Mi Familia Vota, who is fasting from Arizona. These civic and religious leaders have agreed to fast until they are no longer able on behalf of 11 million aspiring Americans.

Every now and then, people are compelled to stand on principle and take drastic action in the name of those principles. I am proud today to join my brother, Eliseo Medina and other civic and religious leaders who have committed to abstain from food for as long as they can to defend the basic human dignity of immigrant families and workers in our communities who are too often torn apart by our broken immigration system. I am inspired by the hundreds of aspiring Americans I have met over the years who have shared stories that, at their core, reflect the same desires of most Americans: to work hard and provide a better future for their children.

"Our economy depends on immigrant workers --whether they are child care workers, janitors, security guards, airport workers, fast food workers, or adjunct professors or other professionals. Every day Congress kicks the can down the road and fails to address our broken immigration system, another husband is separated from his wife, another mother or father is separated from their children, another hardworking, aspiring American is detained and deported. That's why today, I am fasting in solidarity to renew my faith and challenge people of conscience to join millions of aspiring Americans and their allies in calling on U.S. House leadership to take up commonsense immigration reform without delay."

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