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A project of Common Dreams

For Immediate Release
Contact:

Anna Dvorak, anna@vdlf.org

Immigrant Rights Movement One Step Closer to Achieving Path to Citizenship After Biden's Announcement on Build Back Better Framework

Today, local & state elected officials join immigrants in rally to call on sen. Baldwin to disregard parliamentarian & deliver path to citizenship.

WASHINGTON

This morning, Voces de la Frontera and the national immigrant rights movement moved one step closer to achieving a pathway to citizenship after President Biden announced immigration reform as a key component of his Build Back Better framework and allocated $100 billion for immigration reform with a path to citizenship.

Despite the threat of rain, Voces is holding a rally and picket today in front of Senator Tammy Baldwin's Milwaukee office at 4:00 p.m. CST, with full details below. Local and state representatives from throughout Wisconsin will join immigrant leaders and allies to ensure that the President and Democrats in Congress deliver on this overdue promise.

A toolkit for members of the media is available and will be updated with photos and video throughout the day.

Christine Neumann-Ortiz, Executive Director of Voces de la Frontera, said, "With Biden's announcement this morning to include $100 billion in the Build Back Better reconciliation bill, we are closer than we've ever been to winning immigration reform with a path to citizenship in over 30 years. This progress is a credit to the strength of our movement. A majority of Americans are with us, and President Biden and all Democrats in Congress support it. But victory is not guaranteed. Democratic Senators, including Senator Tammy Baldwin, President Biden and Vice President Harris have not yet committed to using the power they hold in the US Senate to disregard the biased advice from the Senate Parliamentarian and deliver on their promise to pass a path to citizenship this year. Voces is moving forward with our planned escalated protest today at 4:00 p.m. CST in front of Senator Baldwin's office. Latinxs and immigrants were decisive in the Wisconsin 2020 election. They voted and motivated others to vote based on the promise of citizenship this year, and they expect results. We cannot build back better from this pandemic without investing in immigrant workers and families who are on the frontlines."

WHAT: Emergency Action: Citizenship Now! - A rally and picket to increase pressure on Senator Tammy Baldwin to make a public statement saying she'll disregard the arbitrary advice from the Senate Parliamentarian and work with her Democratic colleagues to use their majority power to pass a path to citizenship this year.

WHEN: Today, Thursday, October 28th at 4:00 p.m. CST

WHERE: Outside the office of U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin, 633 W. Wisconsin Ave, Milwaukee, WI

The action will also be streamed via Facebook live at facebook.com/VocesdelaFronteraWI.

DESCRIPTION OF VISUALS:

  • Three circular hand-painted banners 20 feet in diameter that say "Democrats: Citizenship Now!" (two in English, one in Spanish)
  • Hundreds of placards that say "Democrats: Citizenship Now!"
  • Additional handmade signs and banners

INTERVIEW OPPORTUNITIES:

  • Christine Neumann-Ortiz, Executive Director of Voces de la Frontera
  • Leslie Flores, daughter of undocumented immigrant essential workers who voted for the first time and helped to mobilize the Latinx vote in 2020
  • State Representative Sylvia Ortiz-Velez from Milwaukee
  • State Representative Francesca Hong from Madison
  • Sheboygan Alderman Andre Walton
  • State Representative Kristina Shelton from Green Bay

Voces de la Frontera is Wisconsin's leading immigrant rights group - a grassroots organization that believes power comes from below and that people can overcome injustice to build a better world.