Contact: Sam Singleton-Freeman, 414-469-9206, sfreeman@vdlf.org
MADISON, WISCONSIN — A Wisconsin Senate committee has announced they will hold a vote behind closed doors Thursday on the controversial anti-immigrant bill AB190/SB275. The bill, often referred to as the anti-sanctuary bill, would have public employees act like Immigration agents by barring local governments from stopping their employees from inquiring about immigration status. The bill would also mandate that local law enforcement comply with warrantless, unconstitutional ICE detainer requests.
Voces de la Frontera’s Madison chapter will hold a press conference on Thursday, November 2nd, at 10am in Room 300 NE of the Capitol in Madison to decry the process and anticipated vote. In addition Voces will also announce and invite supporters to a rally Sunday, November 5th, at 1pm at 2001 S Prairie Ave in Waukesha, outside of Scott Walker’s reelection announcement, to call on Walker to oppose the bill and stop efforts to bring 287g to Waukesha and Milwaukee counties. Buses will come from Milwaukee, Green Bay, and Manitowoc.
“We call on Governor Walker to reject the politics of hate and reject this anti-immigrant bill,” said Christine Neumann-Ortiz, Executive Director of Voces de la Frontera. “We defeated this bill last year through the Day without Latinxs and Immigrants, when 40,000 people when on strike and descended on the Capitol, and the resistance this year will be even more massive. In meetings and at rallies across the state, immigrant workers have said if this bill moves forward, we will organize Days without Latinxs, Immigrants, and Refugees — a statewide general strike of more than one day. This bill in combination with Trump’s repeal of protections for immigrant adults and youth and 287g pending applications for Waukesha and Milwaukee represent the greatest threat to date to our state. We are going to fight for our families.”
“Wisconsin farmers need a stable labor force and business climate, in contrast with the wild swings in immigration policy that we’re currently getting from the federal level,” said Nick Levandofsky, Government Relations Associate with the Wisconsin Farmers Union. “SB275 will mean all of those wild swings at the federal level will be the directive for local law enforcement as well. Wisconsin Farmers Union supports leaving the craziness in Washington, and keeping some measure of stability and predictability here at home.”
