More than 200 cities nationwide will be hosting rallies for immigrant rights Thursday. Milwaukee has a unique place among them because it was the only city that boosted its number of participants from the previous year. The event organizer credits the solidarity of the community and their active push to exceed participation, 60 days prior to the 2007 march. Christine Neumann-Ortiz, Executive Director of Voces De La Frontera, says this year's theme involves "reform in the first 100 days." This is a call to the incoming President for swift immigration reform immediately after swearing in.
Ortiz says they also want the Bush administration to put an immediate stop to raids and deportations which she claims leads to separation of families. Neumann-Ortiz claims these raids have occurred in homes in Milwaukee. Afterward, family members left behind have had to contact Voces to find out where authorities took the relatives.
The Milwaukee rally will assemble downtown at 10:30 am and finish in Veterans Park.