John, 

In the struggle for workers’ rights, immigrants have always been at the forefront of the movement. From César Chávez to Amazon union organizers in Staten Island, immigrants have led the charge for basic protections in the workplace. 

On May Day, we’re marching from Washington Square Park to Foley Square to demand President Biden, Governor Hochul, and our leaders across NYS protect immigrant and union workers. 

As part of nationwide demonstrations, we are calling for a path to citizenship for 11 million immigrants, an immediate end to the Remain in Mexico policy and Title 42, and TPS for countries such as El Salvador, Ethiopia, Guatemala, Guinea, Honduras, Lebanon, Mauritania, Nepal, Nicaragua, and Sierra Leone. To keep our communities safe, Governor Hochul must end collaboration between ICE and local and state agencies, and re-invest in the Excluded Workers Fund to ensure relief for immigrant workers, who have been excluded from all stimulus and unemployment programs during the pandemic. 
 

Washington Square Park is the historic site of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire, when in 1911, hundreds of immigrant workers were killed from a lack of basic workplace safety regulations. This tragedy transformed the labor movement in the United States, as activists organized for broader government oversight of workplace conditions. As we march to Foley Square, we remind our leaders of the legacy and power of immigrants in the fight for basic rights. 

If you can’t join us for our May Day rally, consider supporting our movement for immigrant justice with a donation. Your contribution will fuel our fight to pass the New York for All Act, expand language access, and secure access to legal representation—and ensure immigrant workers are protected for generations to come. 

Onward,

Murad Awawdeh
Executive Director