Contact: Sam Singleton-Freeman | sfreeman@vdlf.org | 414.469.9206

Racine, WI – Today, Wisconsin immigrant youth constituents of House Speaker Paul Ryan and their supporters rallied at Ryan’s Racine office to demand he protect DACA beneficiaries, that Ryan demand Trump’s executive orders on immigration be rescinded, and that Ryan reject Trump Administration efforts to mobilize the National Guard to round up immigrants. The group also demanded Speaker Ryan hold a town hall meeting with constituents to address the impact of Trump’s deportation raids.

In a CNN televised town hall on January 12th, House Speaker Paul Ryan of Wisconsin told mother and DACA beneficiary Angelica Villalobos and her daughter that they should not fear deportation. Despite Speaker Ryan’s promises, this week 23-year-old DACA beneficiary Daniel Ramirez Medina was detained by ICE agents in Seattle.

Valeria Ruiz, organizer with Youth Empowered in the Struggle and Voces de la Frontera, said:

“Daniel Ramirez Medina has DACA just like me, but they raided his home and are now trying to deport him,” said “We demand Speaker Ryan tell us what he is doing to secure Daniel’s freedom and keep my family and me from being separated. The raids we are seeing right now have to stop. We want Speaker Ryan to keep his word and make sure DACA is not eliminated. We want Speaker Ryan to hold a town hall meeting with his constituents to address the raids resulting from Trump’s recent orders on immigration.”

Vanessa Lira, undocumented mother and resident of Racine, said:

“DACA es una herramienta muy importante para todos los jóvenes inmigrantes que les ha abierto muchas puertas y ha beneficiado a nuestras familias. Gracias a DACA mi hija Valeria Ruiz ha logrado cumplir sus sueños, sueños que quieren ser truncados — pero la pregunta aquí es ¿porque? Porque les quieren cortar las alas. Por eso le demandamos a Paul Ryan que ponga un alto a las órdenes ejecutivas de Donald Trump.”

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