Photos: HNG (More march photos at end of article)
Undocumented immigrants facing massive detentions and deportations as ICE enforcement deports more than 400,000 per year with Secure Communities Program implemented in numerous states including in Wisconsin.
By H. Nelson Goodson
May 1, 2011
Milwaukee - On Sunday, tens of thousands of demonstrators marched against a similar proposed racist Arizona SB 1070 style immigration enforcement bill in Wisconsin, Governor Scott Walker's (R) proposed elimination of in-state tuition for undocumented students attending colleges and universities and ending state employee collective bargaining. Voces de la Frontera along with the national AFL-CIO and several local unions organized this year's march in protest of Governor Walker's proposed budget cuts to education, healthcare and ending bargaining rights for state workers.
The national AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka is scheduled to speak at 3:00 p.m. at the lakefront Veteran's Park rally. Demonstrators and march participants from six surrounding cities were bused in to participate from Racine, Kenosha, Madison, Burlington, Lake Geneva and Whitewater, according to Christine Neumann-Ortiz, Executive Director of Voces de la Frontera.
The march began after 2:00 p.m. at the offices of Voces de la Frontera, 1027 S. 5th St., a worker's rights organization and proceeded to Veteran's Park at the lakefront. It took 10,699 steps from the start of the march to the rally at the lakefront, according to a stepmeter carrier. This year marks the 6th major march organized by Voces. Organizers decided to join the annual immigrants rights march with unions to gain awareness and support for union state workers.
Voces for the last six years has been advocating for comprehensive immigration reform, in-state tuition for undocumented students, driving permits, including opposing Governor Walker's promise to sign a similar Arizona law allowing state and local police to enforce immigrations laws. State Representative Donald Pridemore (R-Hartford) plans to introduce an immigration enforcement bill similar to Arizona and has been seeking support from other Republican legislators to pass it. Pridemore has yet to introduce the bill in a legislative committee.
Nationally, undocumented immigrants and immigration rights activists and organizations advocating for reform got a setback last Thursday from President Barack H. Obama (D-IL). Obama refused to use his executive authority to stop massive deportations of noncriminal undocumented immigrants, students and their parents citing he "cannot t unilaterally change the law." Immigration rights activists and Congressman Luis Gutierrez (D-IL) have advocated for President Obama to used his executive privilege to use discretion and to stop the mass deportations of undocumented parents of more than 4 million U.S. born children. President Obama hasn't kept his word in passing immigration reform or hasn't used his discretion to allow millions of undocumented students to stay in the country while Congress can work out differences and pass the DREAM Act, according to Gutierrez.
President Obama could actually issue an executive pardon as well for those in the country illegally. Being in the country illegally is a federal civil offense and not a felony offense. Obama can even issue an executive order for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to put priority in detaining and deporting undocumented criminals convicted of serious crimes such as felonies. Instead of ICE and DHS concentrating and detaining noncriminal undocumented immigrants and students raised in the U.S. and pursuing a college education to become productive residents.
About, 400 thousand undocumented immigrants are deported every year from the U.S. and with the Secure Communities Program (SCP) implemented by ICE, the deportations could rise to 800,000 per year. Gutierrez criticized the SCP for over reaching and not following the memorandum agreement with states including Wisconsin.
Under the SCP agreement, the program specified that undocumented immigrants considered criminals and convicted of a felony should be targeted for deportation. But in many cases, noncriminals have been processed under SCP and hard working undocumented immigrants have been deported, separating families, according to Gutierrez.
For the next several years, the Republican controlled U.S. House of Representatives have vowed to block any immigration reform and with Obama's recent decision not to use his executive authority to halt deportations, immigration rights activists are facing major hurdles and obstacles to influence reform.
One option that hasn't been fully adopted, pushed and put into action around the country by immigrant rights organizations, faith and clergy groups, and activists is engaging in economic influence to gain immigration reform by the next Presidential election. Hispanics can concentrate in controlling and managing their purchasing power. They can choose to spend their money at Hispanic owned businesses and businesses that publicly support immigration reform, the DREAM Act and they can buy bare essentials at other locations for necessity, but don't over spend.
Today, U.S. Hispanics including undocumented immigrants have an ability to flex more than $800 billion to $1.5 trillion dollars in purchasing power by 2013 and can no doubt use it to influence immigration reform in the next several years.
The National Institute of Migration in Mexico reported, 66,704 Mexican nationals were deported from the U.S., between January and February 2011, 63,970 were over 18 and 2,734 were minors. ICE deported, 30,844 in January and 35,860 in February, of the adults, 57,908 were men and 6,062 were women (Source Notimex).
Copy of Pridemore's Wisconsin illegal immigration bil (PDF) at link: http://bit.ly/eyjCGo
Statistics:
Wisconsin Hispanic population in the state grew by 74% 336,056, an increase of 143,135 from 2000. Hispanics now account for 5.9 percent of Wisconsin's total population and more than 3,000 Hispanic owned businesses contribute more than $800 million in annual sales.
The Hispanic population in Milwaukee County rose by 126,039 and the Dane County Hispanic population grew by 28,925.
The City of Milwaukee saw a increase of 40%, 103,107 in Hispanic population, and saw a loss of 6%, from 605,013 to 594,833 of population now residing in the city according to the 2010 census. Compared to a census report in 2009, that the Hispanic population rose about 48%, 285,827 or 5.1% of the population in the state.
A City of Milwaukee economic study reported that the South side households in the predominately Latino community located inside Postal Zip Code 53204 in Milwaukee spend more than $91 million annually in retail goods, according to the 2006 Department of City Development statistics. In one day, they spent approximately $249,315.06. The biggest tax-generating base for the city comes solely from the South side.
In Milwaukee, over 850 Hispanic owned businesses generate more than $225 million in annual sales. It is abundantly clear that the immigration of Hispanics and undocumented immigrants to Southeastern Wisconsin is tied to a large degree to the available resources that Hispanics have in the area.
U.S. Census officials reported, that 50.5 million Hispanics were counted in 2010, 16.3% of total U.S. population and a 43% growth since 2000.
Highlights of the May 1st march:
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Undocumented immigrants facing massive detentions and deportations as ICE enforcement deports more than 400,000 per year with Secure Communities Program implemented in numerous states including in Wisconsin.
By H. Nelson Goodson
May 1, 2011
Milwaukee - On Sunday, tens of thousands of demonstrators marched against a similar proposed racist Arizona SB 1070 style immigration enforcement bill in Wisconsin, Governor Scott Walker's (R) proposed elimination of in-state tuition for undocumented students attending colleges and universities and ending state employee collective bargaining. Voces de la Frontera along with the national AFL-CIO and several local unions organized this year's march in protest of Governor Walker's proposed budget cuts to education, healthcare and ending bargaining rights for state workers.
The national AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka is scheduled to speak at 3:00 p.m. at the lakefront Veteran's Park rally. Demonstrators and march participants from six surrounding cities were bused in to participate from Racine, Kenosha, Madison, Burlington, Lake Geneva and Whitewater, according to Christine Neumann-Ortiz, Executive Director of Voces de la Frontera.
The march began after 2:00 p.m. at the offices of Voces de la Frontera, 1027 S. 5th St., a worker's rights organization and proceeded to Veteran's Park at the lakefront. It took 10,699 steps from the start of the march to the rally at the lakefront, according to a stepmeter carrier. This year marks the 6th major march organized by Voces. Organizers decided to join the annual immigrants rights march with unions to gain awareness and support for union state workers.
Voces for the last six years has been advocating for comprehensive immigration reform, in-state tuition for undocumented students, driving permits, including opposing Governor Walker's promise to sign a similar Arizona law allowing state and local police to enforce immigrations laws. State Representative Donald Pridemore (R-Hartford) plans to introduce an immigration enforcement bill similar to Arizona and has been seeking support from other Republican legislators to pass it. Pridemore has yet to introduce the bill in a legislative committee.
Nationally, undocumented immigrants and immigration rights activists and organizations advocating for reform got a setback last Thursday from President Barack H. Obama (D-IL). Obama refused to use his executive authority to stop massive deportations of noncriminal undocumented immigrants, students and their parents citing he "cannot t unilaterally change the law." Immigration rights activists and Congressman Luis Gutierrez (D-IL) have advocated for President Obama to used his executive privilege to use discretion and to stop the mass deportations of undocumented parents of more than 4 million U.S. born children. President Obama hasn't kept his word in passing immigration reform or hasn't used his discretion to allow millions of undocumented students to stay in the country while Congress can work out differences and pass the DREAM Act, according to Gutierrez.
President Obama could actually issue an executive pardon as well for those in the country illegally. Being in the country illegally is a federal civil offense and not a felony offense. Obama can even issue an executive order for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to put priority in detaining and deporting undocumented criminals convicted of serious crimes such as felonies. Instead of ICE and DHS concentrating and detaining noncriminal undocumented immigrants and students raised in the U.S. and pursuing a college education to become productive residents.
About, 400 thousand undocumented immigrants are deported every year from the U.S. and with the Secure Communities Program (SCP) implemented by ICE, the deportations could rise to 800,000 per year. Gutierrez criticized the SCP for over reaching and not following the memorandum agreement with states including Wisconsin.
Under the SCP agreement, the program specified that undocumented immigrants considered criminals and convicted of a felony should be targeted for deportation. But in many cases, noncriminals have been processed under SCP and hard working undocumented immigrants have been deported, separating families, according to Gutierrez.
For the next several years, the Republican controlled U.S. House of Representatives have vowed to block any immigration reform and with Obama's recent decision not to use his executive authority to halt deportations, immigration rights activists are facing major hurdles and obstacles to influence reform.
One option that hasn't been fully adopted, pushed and put into action around the country by immigrant rights organizations, faith and clergy groups, and activists is engaging in economic influence to gain immigration reform by the next Presidential election. Hispanics can concentrate in controlling and managing their purchasing power. They can choose to spend their money at Hispanic owned businesses and businesses that publicly support immigration reform, the DREAM Act and they can buy bare essentials at other locations for necessity, but don't over spend.
Today, U.S. Hispanics including undocumented immigrants have an ability to flex more than $800 billion to $1.5 trillion dollars in purchasing power by 2013 and can no doubt use it to influence immigration reform in the next several years.
The National Institute of Migration in Mexico reported, 66,704 Mexican nationals were deported from the U.S., between January and February 2011, 63,970 were over 18 and 2,734 were minors. ICE deported, 30,844 in January and 35,860 in February, of the adults, 57,908 were men and 6,062 were women (Source Notimex).
Copy of Pridemore's Wisconsin illegal immigration bil (PDF) at link: http://bit.ly/eyjCGo
Statistics:
Wisconsin Hispanic population in the state grew by 74% 336,056, an increase of 143,135 from 2000. Hispanics now account for 5.9 percent of Wisconsin's total population and more than 3,000 Hispanic owned businesses contribute more than $800 million in annual sales.
The Hispanic population in Milwaukee County rose by 126,039 and the Dane County Hispanic population grew by 28,925.
The City of Milwaukee saw a increase of 40%, 103,107 in Hispanic population, and saw a loss of 6%, from 605,013 to 594,833 of population now residing in the city according to the 2010 census. Compared to a census report in 2009, that the Hispanic population rose about 48%, 285,827 or 5.1% of the population in the state.
A City of Milwaukee economic study reported that the South side households in the predominately Latino community located inside Postal Zip Code 53204 in Milwaukee spend more than $91 million annually in retail goods, according to the 2006 Department of City Development statistics. In one day, they spent approximately $249,315.06. The biggest tax-generating base for the city comes solely from the South side.
In Milwaukee, over 850 Hispanic owned businesses generate more than $225 million in annual sales. It is abundantly clear that the immigration of Hispanics and undocumented immigrants to Southeastern Wisconsin is tied to a large degree to the available resources that Hispanics have in the area.
U.S. Census officials reported, that 50.5 million Hispanics were counted in 2010, 16.3% of total U.S. population and a 43% growth since 2000.
Highlights of the May 1st march:
Photos: HNG
Photos: HNG
Photos: HNG
Photos: HNG
Photos: HNG
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