A Wisconsin labor rights and immigrant advocate says Barack Obama's immigration policy helped win over the Latino vote in the Presidential race.
"There was a distinction between the candidates, it was very clear in the campaign," says Christine Neumann-Ortiz, Executive Director of Voces De La Frontera.
She says the President-elect has made statements that include lifting the bureaucracy involved in gaining legal immigrant status and passing the DREAM act which would give high school students who are illegal immigrants the chance to go to college or serve in uniform.
Voces is calling on an immediate end to immigration raids and Immigration Reform to be passed within 100 days of the January 20th inauguration. They'll join other activists in Obama's Chicago neighborhood Thursday for a "Countdown to Change" event.
In 2007, President Bush was unable to get Congress on board to pass comprehensive immigration reform. Ortiz admits passing a new version won't be easy for the incoming President given current economic challenges, unemployment and war. The Milwaukee based activist says immigration, labor and the war are "not separate" but are all humanitarian issues.