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Latino Community Rallies Against Proposed Legislation
Bills Sitting On Governor's Desk

UPDATED: 9:20 am CST March 6, 2006

MADISON, Wis. -- The Latino community is outraged over two bills currently sitting on Gov. Jim Doyle's desk.

A group of around 50 people rallied on Saturday at Brittingham Park asking the governor not to sign the bills.

The first bill would limit illegal immigrants from receiving public assistance.

The other bill would require proof of residency to get a drivers' license or valid state identification.

The author of one of the bills said passing both measures is important to homeland security.

"We have anecdotal evidence that the Middle Eastern people are teaching Spanish," said Rep. Mark Pettis. "The reason why they're teaching them Spanish is so they can go through the border and come into Wisconsin illegally."

Alfonso Zepeda-Capistran disagreed.

"In my view, if they want to know that they are who they say they are, I see no better way than to give them the opportunity to have an identification card," said Zepeda-Capistran.

Rally organizers said that there are about 150,000 undocumented immigrants living in Wisconsin right now and taking away their drivers' license would hurt the state's economy.

"If you remove the driver employees, employers are going to have less labor force and the productivity is going to be low," said rally attendee Alex Gilis.

Gilis also feels that putting expiration dates on licenses would create tension with police officers and could increase racial profiling by having DMV employees try to figure out who may or may not have a visa.

Gilis also contends the bill could put dangerous, untested drivers on the road.

"They are saying we are going to be more secure and we are going to be less secure and the community is going to be hurt," said Gilis. "I would be surprised that there isn't more racism and division."

Pettis said the issue is not one of racism but the reality of living in a post 9/11 world.

"I don't think that people that come in here illegally, not all of them intend to do us harm, but how do you separate," said Pettis.

Voces do la Frontera is planning another demonstration Thursday.

Fourty-one states, including Illinois and Minnesota already have similar drivers' license legislation.

The cost to put the bill into effect could range from $300,000 to $8 million.