(ROCHESTER, NEW YORK) – Health Care Workers, Bedside Caregivers, Union Members and Immigrant Rights Activists rallied in Rochester on Thursday (September 24th) as part of Healthcare Needs Us All, a coordinated national day of action taking place in hundreds of Cities across the U.S. that called on Congress to protect Immigrant Health Care Workers and the patients and residents who depend on them.

The action comes as tens of thousands of Doctors, Nurses, Hospital, Nursing Home, Home Care Workers and Support Staff who were hailed as Essential Workers during the Coronavirus Pandemic find themselves in the crosshairs of the Trump Administration.

Temporary Protected Status (TPS) holders, DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) recipients and other Immigrants who have lived, worked, and paid taxes in the U.S. for years are being stripped of lawful status and swept into mass deportation

Nationally, nearly 20% of Essential Caregivers and Providers in hospitals, nursing homes and home-and-community-based care were born outside the United States.

Most are U.S. Citizens, but almost a million hold other forms of legal work authorization who are now at risk.

Advocates warn that stripping legal status from Immigrant Health Care Workers will deepen the staffing crisis already straining the Health Care System nationwide.

The Trump Administration’s cruel and unjustified actions will not only harm dedicated Caregivers and Providers, they will strip health care access from Americans who depend on their care, Coalition Leaders said.

Organizers are calling on Congress to: Immediately restore legal status for TPS holders and other Immigrants; Pass the Dream and Promise Act to create a pathway to Citizenship; End discriminatory travel bans and processing delays crippling our Health Care System pipeline; and

Prioritize funding for health care instead of blank checks for ICE (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement) and deportations.

1199 Service Employees International Union (SEIU) United Healthcare Workers East - the largest and fastest-growing Health Care Union in America whose mission is to achieve quality care and good jobs for all - represent more than 400,000 Nurses and Caregivers in the States of Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey, Maryland and Florida, and in Washington, D.C.