Thousands Marched In Milwaukee For Path Of Citizenship For 11 Million Non-legal Status Immigrants

H. Nelson Goodson and Primitivo Torres

Photos: HNG/HNNUSA

Path to citizenship sought by immigrant rights activists.

May 1, 2013

Milw., WI (HNNUSA) - On Wednesday, H. Nelson Goodson from Hispanic News Network U.S.A. and Primitivo Torres from Voces de la Frontera (VDLF) take a brief moment to make history once again, as thousands of people marched for the seventh year to demand a fair comprehensive immigration reform bill. Torres who became a U.S. citizen last year, led the march drive through downtown Milwaukee.
The VDLF immigrant marches have been recorded as the largest in number of participants in attendence walking for immigrant rights since 2006 totaling almost half a million in Milwaukee and Wisconsin's history. 

This year's march focused on a path to citizenship for 11 million non-legal status immigrants, a shout out to to the Obama administration to stop separating families, including deportations, workers rights and living wage jobs, according to march organizers. 

VDLF in a news release stated, as part of a national day of action focusing on amendments to the US Senate's proposed immigration reform bill, thousands of people marched through the streets of Milwaukee today. VDLF executive director Christine Neumann-Ortiz says that this year's May Day march happened at a historic moment, when the opportunity to pass federal immigration reform has never been better. 

"This is both a moment of celebration for our progress, and a time to reflect on the fact that we haven't won the fight yet.Unity and action are more necessary than ever to achieve reform that keeps families together, protects all workers, ends the criminalization of immigrants, and doesn't discriminate against other groups by denying diversity visas, or LGBT families the right to be together."

Last week, federal Judge federal Judge Reed O'Connor ordered that President Barack H. Obama can't force ICE from arresting 3-5 million low priority non-legal status immigrants, only Congress can. The lawsuit was filed by federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents and their union in Texas when the Obama administration introduced a deferred action status for DREAMers who were brought to the U.S. Illegally by their parents at 16 years of age or younger.

Judge O'Connor's decision isn't final, but if Obama's deferred action for DREAMers is upheld it could revoke all of the approved deferred action for millions.