​Washington, DC – Today, the U.S. Supreme Court (SCOTUS) released an opinion that partially lifts the injunction on the Muslim Ban, which would now bar entry to individuals without any connection to a person or entity in the United States. The Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance, AFL-CIO (APALA) condemns this decision that poorly reflects our nation’s history and legacy of welcoming immigrants and refugees.
 
Johanna Puno Hester, APALA National President and Assistant Executive Director of the United Domestic Workers, AFSCME Local 3930, commented: “As an immigrant to this country myself, I am extremely upset by a SCOTUS ruling so offensive to all immigrants and refugees. The religious intolerance and racial discrimination that the administration continues to unabashedly display in its rhetoric and policy is not only disgusting but is a direct attack on our nation’s core values.”
 
“With Gorsuch rounding out the Supreme Court, these rulings will have a tremendous, far-reaching impact on millions of people both nationwide and abroad,” added APALA Executive Director Alvina Yeh. “That’s why our fight for immigrant and refugee communities continues despite whatever decision the Supreme Court rules in the fall. Our fight goes beyond holding elected officials accountable; it extends to protecting the very people in our families, friends, and communities from hate and discrimination.”
 
Hester concluded: “We will not give into fear-mongering at the highest levels of government. Rather, we will defend our democracy with everything we’ve got and show the administration that our resistance will be stronger than ever.”

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Washington, DC - On June 15, a day after the 5-year anniversary of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, also known as DACA, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced its decision to rescind the memorandum that created the Deferred Action for Parents of Americans and Lawful President (DAPA) program. This same memo noted that the original DACA program will remain in effect. The Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance, AFL-CIO (APALA) condemns the administration’s decision to rescind DAPA, which continues to advance an anti-immigrant agenda that tears thousands of working families apart.

“Since coming into office, the administration has done everything in their power to criminalize, detain and deport Black and Brown communities. The decision to officially revoke DAPA is one of many actions this administration has already taken to reinforce his mass deportation agenda,” reacted Alvina Yeh, APALA Executive Director. “While the administration’s anti-immigrant policies are deeply troubling, we also cannot forget the Republicans who did everything in their power to block DAPA/DACA+. They are just as complicit in the systemic violence our communities experience, and with many seats up for reelection in the midterm elections, we have to use all tactics possible to ensure the safety of our communities.”

Yves Gomes, APALA National Executive Board Member and UFCW Local 400 member added, “Although the administration claims that the DACA program will remain in effect, we cannot trust anything this administration says. Examples of DACA-mented individuals being detained and deported serve as a reminder that no immigrant is safe under this present administration.”
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“I am disgusted by this news. It breaks my heart that the 3.5 million undocumented parents who could have benefited from this program now have no hope and must continue to live in heightened fear in this country. APALA is committed to fighting for our communities on the streets, in the courtrooms, and at the ballot box, to ensure our communities’ right to stay in this country,” concluded Johanna Puno Hester, APALA National President and Assistant Executive Director of the United Domestic Workers, AFSCME Local 3930.

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Washington, DC – The Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance, AFL-CIO (APALA) released this statement from Johanna Puno Hester, APALA National President and Assistant Executive Director of the United Domestic Workers, AFSCME Local 3930, in response to the acquittal of the officer who shot and killed Philando Castile in July 2016:
 
“Our hearts go out to the family and friends of Philando Castile. We are deeply upset that another Black brother’s murder has yet been brought to justice. The officer’s acquittal serves as a brutal reminder that our criminal justice system continues to fail Black and Brown folks. As people of color, we refuse to make normal the attacks on Black bodies for simply being Black as we continue to battle a system that bases criminalization on one’s proximity to blackness. Let us not forget that our freedom is indelibly tied to the freedom of Black folks everywhere. We call for justice for Philando Castile and will always say and live #BlackLivesMatter.

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