What: May Day Press Conference and a May Day community art build
When: Saturday, April 22, 2023
Time: The press conference will be at 11:00 a.m., but the art build will go from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Where: The Voces Milwaukee office on 733 W. Mitchell St.
Speakers: Christine Neumann-Ortiz, Executive Director of Voces de la Frontera, along with immigrant essential workers and artists.
(NATIONAL) – Voces de la Frontera (Voces) will hold a press conference on Saturday to announce details of our traditional statewide May 1 march and Voces’ participation in a national day of action. This year’s focus is on a renewed campaign to restore state driver licenses to immigrants in Wisconsin given the importance of Latinx and immigrant essential workers to the economy, as well as the growing political power Latinxs have demonstrated in recent elections.
The national day of action is being organized by the nation’s largest immigrant rights network, the Fair Immigration Reform Movement (FIRM), with dozens of actions planned across the country. Specific demands include calls for President Biden to end the racist 287(g) program that turns law enforcement into an arm of Immigration Customs Enforcement (ICE), expand Temporary Protected Status (TPS) protections to people already living in this country, and for Congress to pass immigration reform.
Voces will also be calling on Wisconsin Republicans on the Joint Finance Committee to vote in support of driver licenses and in-state tuition equity for immigrants in the state budget, and for Wisconsin School Boards to champion fresh, healthy, and equitable school lunch.
On Saturday, members of the press are invited to attend a press conference during a community art build. The art build will bring together community members and local artists involved in the Voces affiliated Voces de los Artistas group to make homemade art that will be featured at the May Day march.
“On May 1st, we’re uplifting the voices of immigrant workers and communities united across the country to call on our elected officials to recognize the contributions of immigrants by providing the necessary protection they deserve,” said Christine Neumann-Ortiz, Executive Director of Voces de la Frontera. “For the immigrant community it’s very important to have access to reliable transportation and because for the majority of immigrant workers driving is a necessity for work and family.
We’re calling on Wisconsin Republican leadership to acknowledge that especially in rural areas where immigrant labor is the foundation of economic security, restoring access to driver licenses would alleviate the fear of family separation over minor traffic violations, a very real threat for immigrant communities under the federal 287(g) program.”
The May Day march starts at 11:00 a.m. from the Voces Milwaukee office at 1027 S. 5th St. Marchers will go to the Milwaukee downtown Department of Motor Vehicles(DMV) office located at 819 N. 6th Street. After a rally at the DMV, we will end with a community celebration at Zeidler Park at 301 W. Michigan Street with music, food, children’ s games, and informational tables.
