No Work, No School, No Buying: Latinxs and Immigrants Calling for a Wave of National General Strikes for Citizenship, Increasing Pressure on Congressional Democrats, President Biden & Vice President Harris

What: On Tuesday, October 5 at 11 a.m CST, Voces de la Frontera will hold a virtual press conference to announce a statewide, Day Without Latinxs and Immigrants general strike on Monday, October 11 to demand that Congressional Democrats, President Biden and Vice President Harris keep a path to citizenship in their Build Back Better reconciliation budget bill. Voces's national network, the Fair Immigration Reform Movement (FIRM), is calling for Days Without Latinxs and Immigrants strikes nationally. The strike actions will kick off on October 11, Indigenous People's Day, in Wisconsin and Washington state, then in Illinois on October 12, then continue to other states in the following days in October. The strikes will increase political and economic pressure on Democrats to keep a path to citizenship in the Build Back Better reconciliation budget bill. 

Latinxs, immigrants and multiracial youth are a growing force in Wisconsin and nationally, and  were critical in getting Democrats to the White House and a majority in Congress in 2020.  

Christine Neumann-Ortiz, Executive Director of Voces de la Frontera, said: “As a movement for civil and labor rights for immigrant workers and their families, we will not accept a repeat of the betrayal of the Obama Administration that promised a path to citizenship but instead delivered more deportations and family separations. The Obama Administration’s failure to lead on immigration  helped pave the path for the far right in 2016.  It is the movement itself, led by immigrant essential workers and their families, that have always been the heroes in this story. Every step of the way, they have demanded dignity from all political parties and those that want to profit from their contributions as a labor force. We've petitioned, we've marched, we’ve voted and now we go on strike. The time to pass a path to citizenship is now.”

When & where: Tuesday, October 5th at 11:00 a.m. CST via Zoom. Click here to register.

The virtual press conference will also be streamed via Facebook live at facebook.com/VocesdelaFronteraWI.

Why: It's been 35 years since the last meaningful pathway to citizenship was enacted for immigrants in this country, and reform and relief for millions of immigrant essential workers is long overdue. Democrats in both the U.S. House and Senate have voted in favor of the Build Back Better reconciliation budget that includes $107 billion for citizenship for millions of essential workers, Dreamers, TPS holders and farmworkers. However, last Wednesday, September 29, the Senate Parliamentarian rejected including a path to citizenship in the reconciliation package for a second time. The Senate Parliamentarian is charged with interpreting Senate rules and her opinion is not binding. This decision comes despite multiple polls showing strong bipartisan support for creating a path to citizenship for immigrant essential workers, Dreamers, farm workers and TPS holders through reconciliation (polls here, here, here and here). Congressional Democrats, President Biden and Vice President Harris can and should choose to ignore the Parliamentarian's decision and deliver on their promises to pass a path to citizenship for millions this year.

Interview opportunities:

• Christine Neumann-Ortiz, Executive Director of Voces de la Frontera
• Immigrant essential workers who will be striking on October 11
• Students and parents who will participate in a student walk out on October 11
• Small business owners who will be closing their businesses in solidarity with immigrant essential workers on October 11