Ryan is a Conservative Without Compassion

Washington, DC – Today the top two officers of UNITE HERE, International President D. Taylor and General Vice President Maria Elena Durazo, released the following joint reaction to the exclusion of immigration protections in today’s continuing resolution budget deal.

“Today’s capitulation of congressional Democrats in accepting a budget deal that leaves Temporary Protective Status (TPS) and DACA holders behind is a betrayal of immigrant families. Over one million legally employed TPS holders and Dreamers in this country are facing terminations of their work authorizations and at are at risk for coming deportations. UNITE HERE represents thousands of TPS workers from Haiti, El Salvador, Honduras, and many more countries who have lived in America for decades, pay their taxes, have American born children, and are living the American dream.

Immigrants on TPS serve their country every day with meaningful and invaluable contributions to American society and are a crucial thread in the fabric of our country. Speaker Paul Ryan’s bad faith negotiating on this budget deal proves that his ‘compassionate conservatism’ mysticism is a sham, and not even a convincing one. The American public overwhelmingly supports a pathway to citizenship for TPS holders and Dreamers, and Ryan’s racism puts him on the wrong side of popular opinion and the constituents of his caucus.

Throughout this week, and file UNITE HERE workers across America have held in-district meetings as constituents with their Senators urging for TPS renewals and a pathway to citizenship, from Alaska to Florida and many states in between. Yesterday we had our third worker lobby day on TPS in Washington, DC with workers from Nevada, Florida, California, and many other states flying in to urge their representatives to protect them and their families. UNITE HERE hospitality industry workers like Mario Guzman from Atlantic City were right on when they told Senate offices in DC yesterday that our union will never bow to bigots in this fight. Paul Ryan’s racism and refusal to commit to a House immigration vote puts him on the wrong side of popular opinion, and he and all members from both party who vote for today’s budget deal is on the wrong side of history.”

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UNITE HERE represents 270,000 members working in the hotel, gaming, food service, manufacturing, textile, distribution, laundry, transportation, and airport industries in the U.S. and Canada. Learn more at www.unitehereimmigration.org