250+ Immigrant Workers Gather in DC

"We Have Dreams Too:" 250+ Immigrant Workers to Hit DC to Stop Deportations, Ensure Inclusive Reform and Workers’ Rights

On Days of State of the Union and the First Senate Hearing on Immigration, Workers Raise Voice for Relief, Labor Rights, and Inclusion in Reform



Feb. 7, 2012 - Washington, D.C.

On the day of the President's State of the Union address, reconstruction workers from post-Sandy New York, raided factory workers from Chicago, guestworkers from Louisiana, Palermo pizza workers, day laborers, domestic workers, and 250 other immigrant workers will gather in Washington for two days to expose the impact of deportations and push for workers’ rights principles to be included in any immigration reform.


The Feb. 12-13 events will kick off efforts nation-wide to ensure that immigrant workers themselves shape immigration reform. As the debate impacts every immigrant worker in this country, they will raise their voices to defend and advance their labor and civil rights, including the right to organize andPOWER Act protections against employer retaliation.



Many of the workers are currently in deportation proceedings, such as the Southern 32, a group of immigrant labor organizers and civil rights defenders. They will push for, inclusive immigration reform that builds on the recent experiences of stopping the separation of families raided by ICE in Phoenix, Arizona, as well as state-level TRUST efforts to improve public safety by limiting the collaboration between local police and federal immigration enforcement. They will also press for labor protections that advance rights at the workplace instead of undermining them. These workers are being brought together by the United Workers Congress, a national alliance of independent worker organizations.



On February 13th, workers will attend the first Senate hearing on immigration, meet with officials, and announce their principles for reform.



In addition to the preliminary list of events below, Interviews are available upon request



February 12th 12:00pm – 10:00pm

Immigrant Worker Conference
Washington Hilton

1919 Connecticut Ave NW

Washington, DC 20009



February 12th, 8:00pm

State of the Union Watch Party

Washington Hilton

1919 Connecticut Ave NW

Washington, DC 20009



February 13th, 8:30am

Attendance at Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing

224 Dirksen Senate Office Building

Washington, DC 20510



February 13th, Immediately following hearing
Announcement of Workers’ Rights Principles and
Reaction to Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing

Dirksen Senate Office Building

Washington, DC 20510



The United Workers Congress (UWC) is a strategic alliance of workers that are either by law or by practice excluded from the right to organize in the United States. Our members have fought for decades to protect the rights of low wage, undocumented workers who were intentionally excluded by labor laws and denied basic human rights to work, receive fair compensation and have a safe and healthy work environment. Our networks represent millions of domestic workers, farm workers, day laborers, taxi drivers, workfare, restaurant, guest workers and formerly incarcerated who are ready to be fully included and striving for workers’ rights and political equality.


UWC is a project of Unity, an alliance of Grassroots Global Justice Alliance, Jobs with Justice,National Day Labor Organizing Network, National Domestic Worker Alliance, National Guestworker Alliance, and Right to the City Alliance.



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