Hundreds of United States cities participated in boycotts, marches or rallies to demand immigration reform Wednesday, as part of a national day of action against immigration raids.
In Madison, the Immigrant Workers Union staged a rally to raise awareness of their continuing struggle with immigration laws and their efforts to claim equal rights.
"Some employers, some bankers, and so on, are using our disability. They are using our vulnerability. They are using the fact that we don't have a way to even fight for ourselves,” said Alex Gillis, a leader of the organization, who spoke at the rally. "To abuse [us] … to make us pay even more for our houses — it's making us feel like we are second-class human beings. And we want to fight against this."
According to a news release from IWU, thousands of Wisconsin citizens have been unable to receive or renew a Wisconsin ID due to lack of documentation since April 1.
Another speaker, Jorge Carrera, explained his sentiments passionately. "Enough raids, enough of separated families, enough terror in the communities," Carrera said in Spanish.
"We are earning everything we are asking for through our sweat, blood and effort," Carrera said. "We will fight and fight hard for equal rights. … We want a better life for our children."
IWU is asking Dane County to help by issuing identification for area immigrant workers. The identification would be in response to the REAL ID Act, which restricts the level of identification any state can provide its immigrants.
"This is an urgent duty for Dane County, in order to assure minimum human and civil rights, and the right to identification," an IWU release read.
However, Hector Ordonez, another participant and supporter of the rally, said immigration should not even be a focus for the government right now.
"The government picks one thing, immigration, instead of working on bigger problems like the national deficit, education, or even the war," Ordonez said.
On the other hand, U.S. Rep. James Sensenbrenner, R-Wis., said in a press release that he commends putting immigration on the front burner.
"Illegal immigration is a problem that needs to be fixed yesterday," Sensenbrenner said in the release. "I am pleased to see the DHS [Department of Homeland Security] take a page out of my immigration bill from last Congress, which included provisions to raise penalties on such derelict business."
IWU will continue to raise awareness in Madison throughout the next month. Rallies and flyers will culminate into a march from Library Mall to the Capitol, on Oct. 12 at 11:30 a.m.
"Being united, we are stronger — stronger to say enough is enough, enough of terror, enough of repression of the people,” Carrera said at the end of the rally. “Finally [we will] be able to say that we are equal … together we're going to be free."
