Action Will Continue to Mount Pressure on Sen. Baldwin, Congressional Democrats to Champion Passing Citizenship This Year in Build Back Better
ESPAÑOL ESTÁ EN LA SEGUNDA PÁGINA ABAJO
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 11/03/21
(MADISON, WI) – As Democrats in Congress continue to negotiate the details of the Build Back Better reconciliation package, immigrants and allies in Madison, WI are planning to join 10 other cities in a “11 Cities for 11 Million” action in front of Democratic offices this week. This national day of action is part of continued escalated pressure on Congressional Democrats and Vice President Harris to keep the $100 billion for immigration reform that President Biden announced in his Build Back Better framework last week and pass a path to citizenship for millions of undocumented immigrant essential workers, Dreamers, TPS holders and farmworkers.
This action will occur just one week after immigrants and allies blocked rush hour traffic in front of Senator Tammy Baldwin’s Milwaukee office, and nearly a month after thousands of immigrants, students and business owners across Wisconsin participated in a “Day Without Immigrants and Latinxs” general strike for citizenship. Immigrant rights organizations have been holding civil disobedience actions, hunger strikes, vigils, phone banks and more across the country to demand that Congressional Democrats and Vice President Harris disregard the biased advice from the Senate Parliamentarian and use their majority power to deliver on their promise to pass a path to citizenship this year.
Other cities participating include New York City, Washington DC, Phoenix, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, Los Angeles, Seattle, Chicago and more to be announced.
Christine Neumann-Ortiz, Executive Director of Voces de la Frontera, said, “If Democrats expect Wisconsin’s Latinxs to turn out in future elections, they need to show us that they’ll have our back when they’re in power. No issue is more fundamental to Latinxs and immigrants in Wisconsin than the need for immigration reform with a path to citizenship. People deserve to live free from the fear of deportation and family separation. Democrats promised to get this done. They have the power to do it, and we will continue to increase pressure until they do.”
The Latinx population in Wisconsin, a key swing state, grew by 33% in the last ten years and is now the state’s largest minority population, with the largest Latinx population growth in Dane County.
Recently, national polling has shown that Biden’s popularity amongst Latinxs has gone down to 23% approval based on his handling of immigration.
WHAT: “11 Cities for 11 Million” rally and picket to increase pressure on Senator Tammy Baldwin to make a public statement saying she’ll disregard the biased advice from the Senate Parliamentarian and work with her Democratic colleagues to use their majority power to pass a path to citizenship this year.
WHEN: Thursday, November 4th at 3:00 p.m. CST
WHERE: Outside the office of U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin, 30 West Mifflin Street, Madison, WI 53703
The action will also be streamed via Facebook live at facebook.com/VocesdelaFronteraWI.
DESCRIPTION OF VISUALS:
- Three circular hand-painted banners 20 feet in diameter that say “Democrats: Citizenship Now!” (two in English, one in Spanish)
- Posters that say “Democrats: Citizenship Now!” (in English and Spanish)
- Additional handmade signs and banners
INTERVIEW OPPORTUNITIES:
- Christine Neumann-Ortiz, Executive Director of Voces de la Frontera
- Immigrant essential workers from Dane County
- Kevin Gundlach, President of the South Central Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO
- Rabbi Lauri Zimmerman, Congregation Shaarei Shamayim
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CONTACT: Anna Dvorak, 414-469-0118, anna@vdlf.org
