New York, NY -1199SEIU President George Gresham today released the following statement regarding President Trump’s recent comments about immigration from Africa and the Caribbean:

“President Trump’s most recent comments on immigration from Africa and the Caribbean are divisive, inflammatory, and completely unbefitting of a person leading a nation that owes so much to the contributions of immigrants from all over the world.

“We as a city, and as a nation cannot and will not tolerate hate speech and discrimination that do nothing but undermine the very tenets on which our country was founded.

“We need fewer discriminatory ‘shock and awe’ statements, and more attention paid to the need to increase job creation and healthcare coverage, and to the reduction of income inequality.

“All men and women are created equal, with the unalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Now is the time for Washington to act like it. “

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1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East is the largest union in New York State and the largest healthcare union in the nation. We represent over 250,000 nurses and healthcare workers in New York and over 400,000 members throughout the East Coast. Our mission is to achieve quality care and good jobs for all.