Arizona Labor Movement Stands in Solidarity with Arizona Immigrants

ARIZONA - Today, Secretary-Treasurer and Executive Director Fred Yamashita released the following statement in solidarity with the Arizona immigrant community ahead of planned, peaceful protests across the state. 

As we witness troubling actions from the current administration impacting our neighborhoods and the unjust separations of families, it is critical to recognize the unwavering response from working people across the nation. 

The Arizona labor movement stands in solidarity with our immigrant brothers and sisters in the face of recent attacks, intimidation, and discriminatory practices. Immigrants are our families, our friends, who make up a vital part of our diverse community and workforce in Arizona. 

Immigrant workers are the backbone of Arizona’s economy. Let us be clear: immigrant rights are workers’ rights. 

We must remember that it is not immigrants who pose a threat to job security; it is the billionaires who do.

The labor movement has always upheld the principle that every worker, no matter where they were born, has the right to work without fear, to organize without retaliation, and to live with dignity. 

We condemn the illegal detention and arrest of immigrants, as these actions violate fundamental rights. While we hold local law enforcement accountable, we must also commit to demonstrating peacefully in protest against these injustices. 

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The Arizona AFL-CIO is an organization that works on behalf of more than 185,000 union members through over 200 local union affiliates. We represent the interests of working people at the state and local levels.