(Madison, WI) – In the build up to May 1, which marks the end of the Biden Administration’s First 100 Days in office, Voces de la Frontera Action and the VDLF Essential Workers Rights Network are hosting a statewide caravan to make our demands to Wisconsin’s members of Congress and the Biden Administration loud and clear: Stop Deportations, COVID-19 Recovery for All, and Citizenship for All. This statewide caravan is part of a national caravan which crosses 30 states culminating in Washington DC on May 1. On Friday, April 16th, join us in Madison!
When and Where:
Friday, April 16th 2021
3:00 pm – First part of program at UW-Madison Library Mall
4:00 pm – Press conference and rally at Capitol Steps, State Street Side
What: We will be marching from the UW Madison Library mall to the State Capitol to demand citizenship for all in the forthcoming COVID-19 reconciliation budget bill. This event will feature members and leaders from the Voces Madison chapter, including immigrant essential workers and Madison elected officials. The speakers will emphasize, through their personal stories, that now is the time to make noise and demand that our congressional representatives vote to legalize essential workers — because immigrants are essential, not deportable! Speakers will be available for individual interviews at the State Capitol during and after the press conference. The press conference will also feature a statement by Rep. Mark Pocan, who supports our demands.
Speakers:
Joanna Larissa: MC
Omar Poler: Land Acknowledgement
Ricardo Marroquin: DACA recipient and UW-Madison Student
Jose Gomez: Madison immigrant essential worker
Mario Garcia Sierra: Voces Madison Chapter member
Christine Neumann-Ortiz: VDLFA Executive Director
Socorro Cortez: Workers Justice Wisconsin
Benny Rivera: Madison Immigrant Essential Worker
Kevin Gundlach: President of South Central Federation of Labor
Baltazar de Anda: Latino Academy of Workforce Development
Alondro Quechol: DACA Recipient
More About the VDLFA Citizenship for Essential Workers Statewide Caravan
Via the forthcoming COVID-19 infrastructure budget bill or ending the racist filibuster, Democrats have the power to vote that citizenship for Essential Workers and their families to be included. However, the window of opportunity is fleeting — and Voces de la Frontera Action, as well as the national immigration rights movement, see Mayday 2021 as an important moment of accountability for the Biden administration. This day, which is always an important day in the immigrant and labor rights movement, will also mark President Biden’s first 100 days in office. We are showing up now to demand that President Biden follow through on his promise to pass immigration reform and dismantle institutionalized racism in his first 100 days in office.
The statewide caravan includes 11 stops in Wisconsin, covering all the Congressional districts: Kenosha, La Crosse, Wisconsin Dells, Madison, Waukesha, Green Bay, Wausau, Lake Geneva/Walworth County, Racine, Sheboygan, and Milwaukee. This statewide tour is also the Wisconsin leg of the March to Victory – Relay Across America national tour, hosted by the Fair Immigration Rights Movement (FIRM) Network, of which VDLFA is a founding member. A delegation of Voces de la Frontera Action and the VDLF Essential Workers Rights Network will also be headed to a mass action in Washington DC for Mayday 2021 to join the FIRM network and other immigration rights networks from across the country – upwards of 40 other immigrant rights organizations will be gathering.
