“As the largest healthcare workers union in the United States, we represent thousands of caregivers and their families who are of Dominican and Haitian descent. The threat of the government of the Dominican Republic to deport hundreds of thousands of Dominicans of Haitian descent is deplorable. In light of the recent adoption of laws that essentially strip the citizenship of 200,000 people of Haitian descent born in the Dominican Republic, the deportations can only be seen as an attempt at ethnic purging.
“Many Dominicans of Haitian descent have spent decades of their lives in the country or may be second or third generation residents. They should have the basic human right to remain in the country in which they have made their homes. Just as we have always denounced racist and anti-immigrant practices in the United States, we denounce these inhumane deportations. Instead, we affirm the basic rights of Dominicans of Haitian descent and call for compassion, unity, tolerance, and human solidarity.
“We call on elected officials in the United States to demand the halt of deportations. And we urge people of conscience everywhere to contact the White House, the State Department, and the Dominican government to speak out against the discrimination of people of Haitian descent in the Dominican Republic.”
--George Gresham, President of 1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East.
“Many Dominicans of Haitian descent have spent decades of their lives in the country or may be second or third generation residents. They should have the basic human right to remain in the country in which they have made their homes. Just as we have always denounced racist and anti-immigrant practices in the United States, we denounce these inhumane deportations. Instead, we affirm the basic rights of Dominicans of Haitian descent and call for compassion, unity, tolerance, and human solidarity.
“We call on elected officials in the United States to demand the halt of deportations. And we urge people of conscience everywhere to contact the White House, the State Department, and the Dominican government to speak out against the discrimination of people of Haitian descent in the Dominican Republic.”
--George Gresham, President of 1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East.
