United Farm Workers President Arturo Rodriguez issued the following statement after House Republicans’ passage today of vehemently anti-immigrant legislation that would counteract Obama’s administrative relief, terminate DACA and separate immigrant families.
Today the Republican-controlled House of Representatives passed five amendments in the Fiscal Year 2015 Homeland Security Appropriation bill, H.R. 240. The GOP’s first move for 2015 was an attack on farm worker families, youth and all immigrant families who President Obama has taken steps to protect. The UFW fervently opposed passage of this extreme anti-immigrant bill.Instead of moving toward comprehensive immigration reform, House Republicans have continued doing nothing for undocumented farm workers and their families. This demonstrates their lack of respect for those who feed the nation. These Republicans are also out of touch with the great majority of their constituents and with the nation as a whole.
Farm workers responded by making dozens of calls to their members of Congress in opposition of these amendments. The UFW commends Republican leaders Denham, Nunes and Valadao plus Democratic leaders Costa and McNerney, all from the Central Valley’s heavily agriculture communities, for voting “no’” on this revolting anti-immigrant bill. It is shameful, to see House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, in his first leadership act during 2015, once again playing along party lines by joining in on the attack on hard-working farm working families and not representing his constituents.
The UFW will continue pushing back against anti-immigrant legislation and working to protect farm-working families.
Tomorrow, a federal district court in Texas will hear oral argument in Texas, et al. v. United States, the 25-state lawsuit challenging the immigration initiatives announced by President Obama last year. The UFW supports its sister organization LUPE (La Union del Pueblo Entero) that will be joining other immigrant and community leaders in Brownsville, TX in support of immigrant families during the hearing.