'A Day Without Latinos' march set
Organizers seek immigration reform
By GEORGIA PABST
gpabst@journalsentinel.com
Posted: April 20, 2008

For the third year in a row, Voces de La Frontera is organizing "A Day Without Latinos" march on May 1, part of a national effort to push for comprehensive immigration reform.

Last year, Milwaukee had one of the largest gatherings in the country as thousands of people marched through downtown.

"This year, we want to send a clear message to the next president that we want to see comprehensive immigration reform within the first 100 days of a new administration," Christine Neumann-Ortiz, executive director of Voces de La Frontera, said at a news conference last week at City Hall to announce the march.

She said advocacy organizations across the country also are asking President Bush to stop the stepped-up raids and deportations that have occurred across the country since the last comprehensive immigration bill collapsed.

This year, there will not be a call for boycotting businesses or asking businesses to shut down during the march, Neumann-Ortiz said.

Employers are being asked to allow employees to attend, and letters are being given to employees to give to employers, asking for the time to march.

Ike Edwards of the United Food and Commercial Workers union said changes in immigration law are needed because "for too long, workers who are considered illegal aliens have been ignored, and the issue of immigration reform has been swept under the rug."

The march also has the support of the Wisconsin Restaurant Association.

An association statement says that although the economy provided 134 million jobs last year, the government made only 10,000 green cards available for service industry workers.
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