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May Day protesters gear up for immigration rally
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In recognition of International Workers’ Day Thursday, the Madison Immigrant Workers Union is holding a rally and march focusing on incarceration policies and political reform.
The rally is to begin at Brittingham Park, and protesters will march up to the City-County Building, just off Capitol Square.
Thursday’s “May Day” events are part of a larger national movement sponsored by the National Alliance of Immigrant Rights.
Alex Gillis, political secretary for IWU, said this is the third year that a national effort has been made through rallies and protests.
According to Gillis, there are two motives behind Thursday’s rally. On a national level, the union is advocating for immigration reform. The event has even more significance with this being an election year.
“We are concerned that the three candidates running are not bringing much detail to what they are going to do for immigration reform,” Gillis said.
Locally, IWU is concerned with Dane County Sheriff Dave Mahoney and his alleged violations of immigration authority. According to Gillis, Mahoney is violating a County Board resolution in asking for documentation of citizenship upon the arrest of certain individuals in Dane County.
“Local agencies cannot perform duties for [Immigration and Customs Enforcement] and cannot enforce immigration laws,” Gillis said.
Mahoney previously said he is following Vienna Convention terms requiring law enforcement officials to report the immigration status of individuals arrested and booked from countries requesting documentation. He also said the county resolution does not apply in this case.
“The resolution is policy advisory,” he said.
The International Socialist Organization, Campus Antiwar Network, Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano de Aztlan and the Student Labor Action Coalition are four student organizations on campus that plan to be involved with the protest Thursday.
The four organizations plan to hold a speak-out at Library Mall on May Day and link up with the citywide march afterward.
Elizabeth Wrigley-Field of the ISO said the organization has been a long time fighter for immigrant rights.
“Our feeling is that your human rights should not rely on which side of the line of a map you were born on,” she said. “It should not matter where you live and work. It makes no difference what kind of rights you have.”
According to Gillis, as of July 2007, an average of two to four immigrants were deported from Dane County each month. In September a dramatic increase shifted the number of deportees to an average of 15 between September and November. Since then, the numbers have remained high.
“In Dane County there has been a tremendous increase. In the first four months of 2008 there have been more people deported than all of 2007,” Wrigley-Field said. “We don’t support community members getting taken out of their home.”
Part of IWU’s stance is to call for the resignation of the sheriff due to his alleged violation of immigration laws.
“We’re hard workers, and we pay our taxes like everyone else. We’re just trying to get some recognition,” Gillis said, “We want Mahoney to step down. What he is doing is illegal, and what he is doing is bad for families.”
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And no mention whatsoever of the actual laws regarding immigration in this country and how illegal immigration is…well…illegal.
Secure the borders. Deport illegal aliens. Si, se puede….
ALL illegal aliens should be deported. Then bring ALL the troops home and have them guard our border to prevent further invasion.
this was neglected by the article…
Student rally for Immigrant Rights May 1 10:30 AM Library Mall
“illegal immigration is…well…illegal.”
wow, what sophisticated analysis…
Well I see that the Commies and the Capitalists can agree on something.
Arizona capitalists want their slave-labor back.
No mention in this implicitly biased ‘news’ article about Arizona unemployment figures (including Indian reservations), prevailing wages, et. al., of course:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/04/20/AR2008042001755.html
Almost all of us were “illegal” immigrants at some point, or did you forget that europeans robbed this land 300 years ago. If they must go then so should we. Any volunteers???
Having a short term memory must be nice. Go learn you history and then bitch about whats “your” land.
ALL land was “robbed” from someone at some point in time. Almost all land titles are “by right of conquest” if you go back far enough. I’m sure that the Anglo-Saxons would like back the land “robbed” by the Normans, but then they “robbed” it from the Britons, who “robbed’ it from …
The Huns didn’t start off living in Hungary you know.
“Your” land is whatever you can take and hold through most of history, in most places.
The Mexicans want to reconquer land now held by the USA that they lost in wars or was sold by previous rulers. We can stop that invasion or we can surrender - there’s no third way. Remember, the President of Mexico said that Mexico is wherever there are Mexicans.
Anonymous (April 30, 2008 @ 11:04am):
“illegal immigration is…well…illegal.”
wow, what sophisticated analysis…
Why does it have to be a sophisticated analysis to be true? The fact that they are breaking our laws and our government is consistent in its policy to not enforce the laws to its full extent is evident.
I find it amazing that the poor class of Mexico does nothing to change their country. Instead, they retreat to our lands and send money back. If they are so determined to have a better life, they should consider creating a better country where they live.
Eject the corrupt from their offices and expedite the removal of criminals that plague their nation. Update their infrastructure…
Oh wait! That’s the difficult path… I’m sorry. Silly me for thinking that they care about their nation that much.
was Columbus and illegal immigrant or a terrorist?
It never ceases to amaze me how little some people care about fellow human beings