Latinos, Immigrants And Allies Have Been Marching For 17 Years In Milwaukee For Comprehensive Immigration Reform With A Path To Citizenship To No Avail

In last 17 years, the number of Latinos, immigrants and allies marching have dwindled from more than 30,000 to less than an estimated 1,700 on May 1, 2023. Video march link at: https://youtu.be/PkPs7gmLFZE

By H. Nelson Goodson 

Hispanic News Network U.S.A.

May 2, 2023

Milwaukee, Wisconsin - On Monday, Voces de la Frontera (VDLF) and allies held another May 1st, immigrant March, which the 38° cold and windy weather that included rain (sprinkles) kept thousands of immigrants and Latinos from participating this year. So far, VDLF hasn't been thinking out of the box in last five years, but Hispanic News Network U.S.A. (HNNUSA) has learned that VDLF organizers are now attempting to reach out to the Republican controlled legislature in Wisconsin to at least get some political influence in the hopes of getting some sympathetic conservative Republicans to help pass a bill to allow undocumented Immigrants to apply for driver licenses in Wisconsin.

VDLF is a 501-c non-profit organization, but has a sister political organization called Voces de la Frontera Action, which is controlled by a majority of White Board of Directors who are considered liberals and socialists, according to sources.

In the last year, VDLF has experienced a major turn over in staffing, due to funding sources and the recent low turnout in the May 1, 2023 march indicates VDLF needs to start thinking out of the box. The march participation in the last 17 years has definitely dwindled from more than 30,000 participant's to an estimated 1,700 on Monday during the cold, windy and wet weather conditions in Milwaukee.

This year's theme for marching was "Wisconsin Driver Licenses for all" including the undocumented workers in the state. Comprehensive Immigration Reform with a path to citizenship for more than 13M undocumented immigrants was put in the back burner, since Democrats in the U.S. Congress and U.S. President Joe Biden (D) promised to pass a Comprehensive Immigration Reform bill with a path to citizenship. That hasn't happened yet and America is still waiting for Biden to wakeup and complete his promise to the Latinos who were instrumental in elected him.

More than $90M in combined taxes are contributed to the state per year by the 70,000 undocumented workers in Wisconsin.

Also, Mexico and Wisconsin have a $6.3B trade agreement, and yet, the Republican controlled legislature has failed to approve a bill that would allow undocumented workers who are mostly Mexican nationals to apply for Wisconsin driver licenses.

If undocumented workers would be allowed to apply for driver licenses today, at least 32,000 would benefit.

Two neighboring states Illinois and Minnesota have approved driver licenses for the undocumented workers to create safe roads.

Governor Tony Evers (D) has attempted to include driver licenses for the undocumented workers in the state budget, but Republicans have red acted it out of the budget each time.

In 2006, due to the federal Real ID law, the Wisconsin Republican controlled legislature passed its own version of the Real ID in 2006 and was signed into law by former Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle (D) who at the time reluctantly signed it into law as democrats in the state legislature oppose it and in 2007, it went into affect, which required a U.S. valid Social Security number to apply for a Wisconsin driver's license.