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For Immediate Release
January 12, 2018

Statement from UUP President Frederick E. Kowal on President Trump's divisive remarks about immigrants

"President Trump’s outburst against immigrants from African countries, Haiti, and El Salvador during a Jan. 11 meeting in the Oval Office was outrageous, inflammatory and reeked of racism. Worst of all, it is part of a long train of racist statements and actions that go back to his business career.

"UUP has thousands of members from countries around the world, and we value their diversity, knowledge, and the many different points of view they bring to SUNY. Our union abhors this kind of hateful speech, and we will always be quick to rail against it. It is contrary to the values of academia, the workers’ movement, and the nation we serve and love.

"Trump’s words are deeply offensive, and only serve to divide and spread hate. His remarks are unacceptable and indefensible. We cannot and will not normalize this kind of behavior, especially coming from the person who speaks for our nation."

UUP is the nation's largest higher education union, with more than 42,000 academic and professional faculty and retirees. UUP members work at 29 New York state-operated campuses, including SUNY’s public teaching hospitals and health science centers in Brooklyn, Long Island and Syracuse. It is an affiliate of NYSUT, the American Federation of Teachers, the National Education Association, and the AFL-CIO.

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