Rochester healthcare workers made a statement with their feet on Thursday.
Local 1199SEIU union members took part in a walkout meant to send a message to Congress to protect immigrant healthcare workers’ rights. It was part of a coordinated national day of action happening in hundreds of cities across the country.
This comes as thousands of healthcare professionals, who were once deemed essential during the pandemic, are now facing deportation under immigration enforcement. The union says these Temporary Protected Status (TPS) holders, DACA recipients and other immigrants have lived, worked and paid taxes in the U.S. for years and are now being stripped of lawful status.
“Healthcare needs all of us,” said Tracey Harrison, area vice president for 1199SEIU. “This attack is on all families. Make no mistake, an attack on immigrant communities is an attack on healthcare.”
According to 1199SEIU, around 20% of essential caregivers and providers in hospitals, nursing homes and home and community-based care were born outside the United States. The union says most are U.S. citizens, but close to 1 million of them have other forms of legal work authorization.
