Thread: Immigrants protest Wisconsin legislative proposals

Greg Moore, Associated Press 6:22 p.m. CST February 18, 2016

MADISON, Wis. - Thousands of protesters marched around the Wisconsin Capitol and hundreds more packed the rotunda Thursday, chanting and waving signs in protest of state legislation they consider anti-immigrant.

The predominantly Hispanic crowd came from across the state as part of a planned rally called “A Day Without Immigrants and Latinos in Wisconsin” to push back against an Assembly bill they say would legitimize racial profiling and a Senate proposal they say would block counties from issuing local identification cards to non-citizens.

The crowd outside — estimated at 14,000 by Madison police — chanted “yes, we can!” in Spanish and waved signs that read “All We Want is Equality,” ‘’Stop Racist Laws,” and “Skin Color Is Not Reasonable Suspicion.”

But Republican supporters stood behind the proposals, saying the protesters were being misled.

“It’s unfortunate Democratic activists are using fear and misinformation to drive a wedge,” Assembly Speaker Robin Vos said.

The local ID bill would ban towns and counties from issuing identification to those who don’t have access to a state ID. It would also specify that such documentation couldn’t be used to vote or obtain public benefits. The plan passed the Legislature on Tuesday. Gov. Scott Walker’s office didn’t immediately respond to an email asking whether he would sign the measure.

The sanctuary cities bill passed the Assembly on Tuesday, but it wasn’t clear when the state Senate would take up the legislation or whether it had enough support to pass. The measure says local governments can’t prohibit police from inquiring about immigration status of someone charged with a crime or from working with federal immigration authorities.

Silvia Bello, 41, drove over 100 miles with her family of four from Sheboygan to Madison to protest the measures, taking the day off work on a ranch. Bello said she came to the U.S. 18 years ago from Mexico and that it’s worth missing a day of work to support immigrants and push for drivers’ licenses for immigrants living here illegally.

“Many ranchers came,” Bello said in Spanish. “This is very important for us.”


Demonstrators chant and carry signs inside the Wisconsin State Capitol in Madison, Wis., as thousands of Latinos, immigrants and their supporters congregate to protest legislative bills they believe to have anti-immigration consequences Thursday, Feb. 18, 2016. (John Hart /Wisconsin State Journal via AP) MANDATORY CREDIT (Photo: John Hart, AP)

The Wisconsin Network for Immigrant and Refugee Rights and other organizations said they hope factories, dairy farms, fast food restaurants and hotels will be affected because workers left their jobs to demonstrate.

Daniel Cortes, a 52-year-old Milwaukee construction worker originally from Mexico, said in Spanish that the bills are anti-immigrant and contribute to fear. He said immigrants contribute to society — they aren’t criminals.

Marshfield Rep. John Spiros, author the sanctuary cities bill, said much of the debate has been based on bad information. For example, he said, his plan doesn’t allow police to stop drivers simply for immigration checks. “The bottom line is what they’re being told is not the truth,” Spiros said.

In the rotunda, where about 1,500 people gathered, according to Capitol Police, 10-year-old Elizabeth Hernandez stood with her parents and two younger brothers. Both of her parents are from Mexico and speak mostly Spanish.

Elizabeth said in English, “we’re here because we don’t want them to take us away.”

http://www.postcrescent.com/story/ne...sals/80581624/

Published time: 19 Feb, 2016 02:01



Madison police estimate that up to 20,000 protesters marched to the Wisconsin State Capitol Thursday, 1,500 of whom made it inside, including workers and students staging a walkout for a rally called “A Day Without Latinos” against two immigration bills.

Some businesses even closed shop for the day or at least a few hours. Voces de la Frontera, one of the organizing activist groups, listed tattoo parlors, tax services, daycares, and cafes closing statewide in a press release.


Theo Keith ✔ ‎@TheoKeith
Here's the view from the windows in the Assembly chamber. #daywithoutlatinos #wipolitics
8:58 AM - 18 Feb 2016

At issue were two pieces of legislation, Assembly Bill 450 and Senate Bill 533. The first would bar any Wisconsin city from restricting its own police force from asking a detained person their immigration status. The goal is to prevent “sanctuary city” policies like those practiced in San Francisco or New York City, where municipal funds or resources are withheld as a method of non-cooperation in the enforcement of federal immigration laws. AB 450 is on its way to the state Senate after passing the Republican-controlled Assembly on partisan lines.

SB 533, which inversely is on its way to the Assembly after a partisan passage in the state Senate, prohibits the distribution of photo IDs by local governments except for employment purposes. The IDs would have to be clearly marked to show they aren’t to be used for voting. Those opposed to SB 533 say local IDs are needed for immigrants, the homeless, and other people who have a hard time obtaining a state ID.

Luz Sosa, professor at the Milwaukee Area Technical College and organizer with Citizen Action of Wisconsin, said the point of the protest was to “let people know how much Latinos contribute to this state,” in a Fusion interview.

“We’re not going to stand by and be discriminated against and have our rights trampled on,” Sosa said.

Don Niles, who owns a dairy farm, allowed some of his employees to take the day off with full pay in order to not lose his entire workforce to the festivities. In an interview with the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Niles empathized with their stance against the bills, which they see as sending a message they’re unwanted in the state.

“That disturbs me very much because my employees are very welcomed,” Niles said. “The vast majority of my workforce, with the exception of my family and two other people, are all from outside the United States originally.”

According to the Journal Sentinel, 90 percent of Wisconsin’s dairy farm workers are from Mexico.

Estimates of the day’s protesting crowd ranged from 14,000 people as Fusion reported and 20,000 as WMTV reported, both citing the Madison Police Department.

https://www.rt.com/usa/332939-latino...gration-bills/

Originally Posted by Jean

Published time: 19 Feb, 2016 02:01

rally called “A Day Without Latinos” against two immigration bills.

'RE-POST' from 5/28/2012

What Would Happen if all of the Illegal Aliens Left America?


In California, if 3.5 million illegal aliens moved back to Mexico, it would leave an extra $10.2 billion to spend on overloaded school systems,
bankrupt hospitals and overrun prisons. It would leave highways cleaner, safer and less congested. Everyone could understand one another as
English became the dominant language again.

In Colorado, 500,000 illegal migrants, plus their 300,000 kids and grandkids would move back “home,” mostly to Mexico. That would save Colorado
an estimated $2 billion (other experts say $7 billion) annually in taxes that pay for schooling, medical, social-services and incarceration costs. It
means 12,000 gang members would vanish out of Denver alone.Colorado would save more than $20 million in prison costs, and the terror that those
7,300 alien criminals set upon local citizens. Denver Officer Don Young and hundreds of Colorado victims would not have suffered death, accidents,
rapes and other crimes by illegals.

Denver Public Schools would not suffer a 67% dropout/flunk rate because of thousands of illegal alien students speaking 41 different languages.
At least 200,000 vehicles would vanish from our gridlocked cities in Colorado. Denver’s 4% unemployment rate would vanish as our working poor
would gain jobs at a living wage.


In Florida, 1.5 million illegals would return the Sunshine State back to America, the rule of law, and English.


In Chicago, Illinois, 2.1 million illegals would free up hospitals, schools, prisons and highways for a safer, cleaner and more crime-free experience.


If 20 million illegal aliens returned ‘home,’ the U.S. Economy would return to the rule of law. Employers would hire legal American citizens at a living wage.
Everyone would pay their fair share of taxes because they wouldn’t be working off the books. That would result in an additional $401 billion in IRS income
taxes collected annually, and an equal amount for local, state and city coffers.


No more push ‘1’ for Spanish or ‘2’ for English. No more confusion in American schools that now must contend with over 100 languages that degrade the
educational system for American kids. Our overcrowded schools would lose more than two million illegal alien kids at a cost of billions in ESL and free
breakfasts and lunches.


We would lose 500,000 illegal criminal alien inmates at a cost of more than $1.6 billion annually. That includes 15,000 MS-13 gang members who distribute
$130 billion in drugs annually would vacate our country.

In cities like L.A., 20,000 members of the ’18th Street Gang’ would vanish from our nation. No more Mexican forgery gangs for ID theft from Americans! No
more foreign rapists and child molesters!
Losing more than 20 million people would clear up our crowded highways and gridlock. Cleaner air and less drinking and driving American deaths by illegal aliens!


America’s economy is drained. Taxpayers are harmed. Employers get rich. Over $80 billion annually wouldn’t return to the aliens’ home countries by cash transfers.
Illegal migrants earned half that money untaxed, which further drains America ‘s economy which currently suffers an $8.7 trillion debt. $8.7 trillion debt!!!


At least 400,000 anchor babies would not be born in our country, costing us $109 billion per year per cycle. At least 86 hospitals in California, Georgia and
Florida would still be operating instead of being bankrupt out of existence because illegals pay nothing via the EMTOLA Act. Americans wouldn’t suffer
thousands of TB and hepatitis cases rampant in our country – brought in by illegals unscreened at our borders.


Our cities would see 20 million less people driving, polluting and grid locking our cities. It would also put the ‘progressives’ on the horns of a dilemma; illegal aliens
and their families cause 11% of our greenhouse gases.


Over one million of Mexico’s poorest citizens now live inside and along our border from Brownsville, Texas, to San Diego, California, in what the New York Times called,
‘colonias’ or new neighborhoods. Trouble is, those living areas resemble Bombay and Calcutta where grinding poverty, filth, diseases, drugs, crimes, no sanitation and
worse. They live without sewage, clean water, streets, roads, electricity, or any kind of sanitation.


The New York Times reported them to be America’s new ‘Third World’ inside our own country. Within 20 years, at their current growth rate, they expect 20 million
residents of those colonials. (I’ve seen them personally in Texas and Arizona; it’s sickening beyond anything you can imagine.)

By enforcing our laws, we could repatriate them back to Mexico. We should invite 20 million aliens to go home, fix their own countries and/or make a better life in Mexico.
We already invite a million people into our country legally annually, more than all other countries combined. We cannot and must not allow anarchy at our borders, more
anarchy within our borders and growing lawlessness at every level in our nation.
It’s time to stand up for our country, our culture, our civilization and our way of life.


http://www.thefederalistpapers.org/us/what-would-happen-if-all-of-the-illegal-aliens-left-america

Silvia Bello, 41, drove over 100 miles with her family of four from Sheboygan to Madison to protest the measures, taking the day off work on a ranch. Bello said she came to the U.S. 18 years ago from Mexico and that it’s worth missing a day of work to support immigrants and push for drivers’ licenses for immigrants living here illegally.

“Many ranchers came,” Bello said in Spanish. “This is very important for us.”

Note of interest ... this lady has been here for 18 years and still can't speak English. Furthermore, the article does not even bother to identify her directly as an illegal.