TOMORROW: Healthcare Coalition to Highlight Importance of Immigrant Healthcare Workers During Sept. 24 Day of Action
Media Advisory for: Thursday, Sept. 24, 2026
Contact: Kristi Barnes | press@nysna.org | 646-853-4489
Emma Alabaster | press@nysna.org | 917-826-8646
Healthcare Coalition to Highlight Importance of Immigrant Healthcare Workers During Sept. 24 Day of Action
Healthcare Workers Unite at Press Conference at New York City Hall and Lunchtime Actions to Demand Action to Protect Immigrant Rights and Fund Healthcare, Not Deportation
New York, NY - A coalition of healthcare workers and supporters called “Healthcare Needs All of Us” will hold a press conference and day of action with rallies in New York City on Sept. 24 to highlight the importance of supporting and protecting immigrants working in healthcare.
As more immigrant workers disappear from healthcare workplaces around the country and fewer immigrants seek care because of fear of ICE, frontline healthcare workers and advocates will speak about their experiences and the impact of federal immigration policies on the health of our communities.
WHO: Healthcare Needs All of Us coalition, including 1199SEIU President Yvonne Armstrong; DC 37 AFSCME Executive Director Henry Garrido; NYSNA President Nancy Hagans, RN, BSN, CCRN; CIR-SEIU National Secretary-Treasurer Melissa Marseille; NYC Central Labor Council President Brendan Griffith; U.S. Rep. Grace Meng; Council Member Mercedes Narcisse; Richard Mallot, Long Term Care Community Coalition; Elisabeth Benjamin, Community Service Society.
WHAT: Day-of-action and press conference highlighting the importance of supporting and protecting immigrants working in healthcare
WHEN: Thursday, Sept. 24 at 9 a.m.
WHERE: New York City Hall, City Hall Steps, New York, NY 10007
Lunchtime rally: 12:00 – 2:00 p.m. at Maimonides Medical Center, 4802 10th Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11219
(Other unions to advise more lunchtime rallies)
*Visuals: Healthcare workers, patients, and advocates holding signs in solidarity*
Nearly 20% of the United States’ essential caregivers and providers in hospitals, nursing homes, and home and community-based care were born outside of the United States. Roughly one million hold legal work permissions that are being threatened under the Trump Administration, which has launched the largest de-documentation push in U.S. history. We are standing together to protect our healthcare workforce, and access to safe, quality care for the nation’s most vulnerable patients.
The coalition's demands include:
- Immediately restoring legal status for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) holders and other immigrants, including by enacting the Senate bill to extend TPS for Haitians (S 4814).
- Enact a path to citizenship for all immigrants who have lived in the U.S. for many years and meet other basic requirements (S. 2468/ HR 4696) and immediately create a path to citizenship for Dreamers and TPS holders by passing the Dream and Promise Act.
- End discriminatory travel bans and processing delays preventing qualified immigrants from continuing to work lawfully or reaching the United States.
- Claw back money being used for excessive and cruel deportation operations and use it to restore federal health care cuts to Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act.
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Healthcare Needs All of Us is a campaign that aims to unite and mobilize healthcare workers, providers, patients, and allies to advocate for the dignity and respect that every family deserves. Our campaign partners include labor unions, consumer advocates and others concerned about our healthcare workforce. The coalition includes both national and New York-based partners, including the New York State Nurses Association (NYSNA), National Nurses United, SEIU, 1199SEIU, Committee of Interns and Residents/SEIU, DC37 AFSCME, Community Change, Families USA, the Coalition on Human Needs, Moms Rising Together, Alianza Americas, Health Care for All New York, iAmerica, Metro New York Healthcare for All, Protect Our Care, and United We Dream Action.