Letter to Employers
Dear Employer,
Latinx and immigrant workers have been working at the frontlines of this pandemic, making sure others are safe and fed. They and their families are at a higher exposure to sickness and death due to COVID-19 and new variants, while others work from home. They are unsung heroes, essential workers, who deserve immigration reform with a path to citizenship for themselves and their families.
We are writing to respectfully request that you stand in solidarity with the immigrant rights movement and allow employees to take time off to participate in a historic civil rights march on Monday, October 11th a “‘Day without Latinos’ & Immigrants” that will start at 11am at 8th and Mitchell street in Milwaukee. We are marching to call on Congressional Democrats to keep immigration reform with a path to citizenship in the Build Back Better reconciliation budget that is being negotiated in Congress.
Wisconsin will be a part of a national wave of similar actions in other states throughout October to escalate pressure on Democrats to deliver on their promise of citizenship this year.
We invite businesses to scale back or close operations, and accommodate workers, without retaliation, who wish to participate in this unity event to honor the sacrifices and contributions Latinx and immigrant workers have made during this pandemic and during the current labor shortage.
You can also make a financial contribution to this event at vdlf.org. In addition, please contact Senator Baldwin to support our call to pass immigration reform with a path to citizenship this year. Democrats have the power to ignore the parliamentarian who is an unelected attorney whose opinion they are not forced to follow. All Democrats voted to include $107 billion to legalize essential workers and their families in the Build Back Better reconciliation budget bill and should not use the pretext of the parliamentarian to deliver on their promise to pass immigration reform this year.
Please feel free to contact my assistant Miriam Levie at Miriam@vdlf.org or contact me via cell at 414-736-2835 if you have any questions or need further information. For donations contact Alejandra Gonzalez at Alejandra@vdlf.org.
Immigration reform is broadly supported across party lines and is long overdue. We need a legal working immigration system and this is the year to deliver.
Sincerely,
Christine Neumann-Ortiz Executive Director, Voces de la Frontera