Voces de la Frontera urges Biden to deliver on his promise to expand protections for immigrants

 

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- A nonprofit Latino organization, "Voces de la Frontera," held a press conference at Zeidler Union Park in Westown Monday to give President Joe Biden a message as he made his way to Wisconsin this Labor Day.

Latino families and workers were seen chanting a number of mantras -- among them, "Si se puede," or "Yes we can," in Spanish, with a colorful banner that stated "Citizenship for Essential Workers and Families."

"President Biden is here today, ahead of the midterm elections, because he knows what we've been saying, the road to working class and immigrant justice runs through Wisconsin," said Christine Neumann-Ortiz, director of the organization. 

Alondra Garcia is a proud daughter of immigrant workers who teaches within the Milwaukee Public School District, and said she knows first-hand what it feels like to live in uncertainty every single day.

"Wisconsin is the only home I have ever known, but as a documented educator there is always a constant threat that I am one court decision away from having my temporary protection from deportation taken away,'' Garcia said.

A number of essential Latino voters want the Biden administration to fulfill their promise to expand immigration protections -- those under TPS, or Temporary Protection Status, and DACA -- Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals.

The nonprofit group is urging those who can vote to show out stronger than ever at the polls.

In fact, according to the Latinx political organization "Voto Latino," Latino voter registration rates reached an all-time high in the 2020 presidential election, with approximately 16.5 million Latinos casting their ballots.

Which is why Neumann-Ortiz said showing out this election season is fundamental.

"We want candidates that are about lifting everybody up, having values of compassion and solidarity, and there's enough wealth in this country and in this state to go around, the problem is it's concentrated in the hands of a few people who want to hoard it more and we have to fight back against these tactics of discrimination," said Neumann-Ortiz.