Contact: Sam Singleton-Freeman, sfreeman@vdlf.org, 414-469-9206
Who: Raymundo Martinez-Moreno and family, Voces de la Frontera
What: Press conference to discuss communiy efforts to stop Mr. Martinez-Moreno’s deportation
When: Tuesday, May 7, 11am CST
Where: Voces de la Frontera, 1027 S 5th St, Milwaukee
Livestream to be available here
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| Raymundo Martinez-Moreno, center, with his wife and seven of eight grandchildren. |
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN – On Tuesday, May 7th, a Green Bay grandfather of 8 currently in removal proceedings named Raymundo Martinez-Moreno and his family members will join Voces de la Frontera for a press conference to discuss Mr. Martinez-Moreno’s case and community efforts to prevent his deportation and keep his family together. Voces de la Frontera has launched an online petition urging Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to use their discretion to not separate Mr. Martinez-Moreno from his family.
In July 2017, Mr. Martinez-Moreno was pulled over for driving without a license while driving home from work. Immigrants who do not have a Social Security Number have not been able to obtain a valid driver license in Wisconsin since 2007. Mr. Martinez-Moreno thought that he just had to pay a fine, but he actually had been assigned a court date. When he did not come to court, the court issued an arrest warrant. In May 2018, he was stopped and taken to jail based on this warrant. From there, deputies handed him over to ICE. Aside from being stopped for driving without a license, Mr. Martinez-Moreno has no criminal record.
Mr. Martinez-Moreno has lived with his wife of 35 years in Green Bay since 2001. The two are members of Voces de la Frontera and have helped to organize community members to travel to Milwaukee and Madison as part of the campaigns against anti-sanctuary legislation and in support of restoring driver licenses for immigrants. Mr. Martinez-Moreno works in landscaping and snow removal. He is active in his church, City of Hope, and has been an usher in this and other churches for the past 12 years.
“I want to stay here with my family and grandchildren,” said Raymundo Martinez-Moreno. “What is happening is unjust. I am not the only person this is happening to. This is why we are fighting for driver licenses.”
“This family’s case shows the urgent need to restore driver licenses for immigrants in Wisconsin,” said Christine Neumann-Ortiz, Executive Director of Voces de la Frontera. “Families are being traumatized and separated. We join the Martinez-Moreno family in urging ICE to halt this deportation and in urging the legislature to move quickly to restore driver licenses for immigrants. Wisconsin should be a state that protects families and honors people who work hard and make important contributions to our communities.”
Follow Voces de la Frontera on Twitter at @voces_milwaukee and on Facebook.
