Thousands Marched Through Downtown Milwaukee

Protesters want a fair and just immigration reform bill passed within the first 100 days of the next President’s term

Milwaukee (ELCNN) - They came by the thousands, the young, the children, the senior citizens, and middle age protesters chanting “Si Se Puede”, and “Today We March, Tomorrow We Vote” along the 6th Viaduct route to Veteran Parks on the lakefront. This year, the Immigration Reform protesters were predominately young that included teenagers, and children outnumbering their parents, grandparents, and adults. Their sheer numbers has sent a strong message to public and elected officials that indeed they are part of this nation and tomorrow they will change the face of America through their vote. The future is in their hands, and most likely a stream of new leaders marching for their rights will follow.

The massive march is one of the 200 marches taking place in about 200 cities throughout the nation. Organizers are focusing on voter registration and setting an agenda for the next president. The march began from the front offices of Voces de la Fronteras, 1027 S. 5th St. and was led by teenagers wearing white t-shirts with red letters saying “Just Immigration Reform first 100 days” hoping to ensure the next President elected and the U.S. Congress can finally enact an immigration bill that would legalize and pave the way for the more than 13 million undocumented immigrants to stay in this country.

Voces de las Fronteras in Milwaukee organized the May 1st National Day of Action march “A Day Without Latinos” with labor groups in support of comprehensive immigration reform legislation. A press release on Thursday from the organization stated, “in figure backed by ACLU legal observers, Voces de la Frontera organizers put the number marching in Milwaukee today at 30,000, with the city's march expected to be one of the largest in the nation once again.”

"Support for the day's 'First 100 Days' message was a massive expression of the urgent need for change from the next presidency. Today's march was also the city's most diverse yet in making a call for fundamental and just immigration reform. In this crucial election year, the march will call on the next President to make comprehensive immigration reform a priority for his/her first hundred days – and on the current administration to stop tearing families apart through immigration raids and the criminalization of workers and employers through ‘No Match’ attacks,” Christine Neumann-Ortiz, Voces de la Frontera Executive Director said.

In Wisconsin, the Hispanic population increased by more than 4%, greater than the national hispanic growth rate, and more than 271,000 Hispanics lived in Wisconsin in 2007. The population of Hispanics has grown by 40% since 2000, according to the U.S. Census report.

H. Nelson Goodson, Managing Editor of El Conquistador Newspaper and who joined the march representing Taxpayers for Immigration Reform says, “Taxpayers for Immigration Reform based in Milwaukee has been advocating nationwide since last Summer for Latinos and supporters of immigration reform to continue to shop at Latino owned businesses and businesses which support our community.” The group says immigrants as taxpayers do pay taxes on just about everything on a daily basis. Taxpayers are not required to be U.S. citizens to pay them.

For the above reason, as taxpayers we have embarked and joined the national campaign to continue to push for Immigration Reform that would provide a path for legalization for more than 13 million undocumented immigrants who do pay taxes.

Everyday, Latinos and immigrants pay millions of taxes in the U.S.A. We should spend our money where we are welcomed and respected as immigrants who do contribute millions of dollars to our economy. It’s time for our government and public officials to recognize the million of taxes we contribute everyday, Goodson emphasized.

Even today, all of us can feel the affects of our economy, and there is talk of a recession in the distant future. What President George W. Bush and Congress needs to do is to pass another stimulus package to help stabilize our economy. It is with common sense that they need to pass a Comprehensive Immigration Reform Bill as soon as possible so our nation can keep our manufacturers, and other producing companies, and its workers working in order for them to contribute to our economic wealth.

“We do have an economic impact in this nation, and we need an effective strategy for financial management of our economic purchasing power which totals in the billions of dollars to influence immigration reform. We should continue to invest, shop and spend our money in businesses and entities in our communities that respect us, do welcome us, and support immigration reform,” said Goodson.

There are three major factors for the 890 billion dollar boost of our economy that is generated by undocumented immigrants. Their economic contributions is a major boost to the U.S. economy with the combined value of their labor, their stimulus on our economy, and the taxes they pay, according to a University of California-Los Angeles study by Raul Hinojosa.

Undocumented immigrants from Mexico alone contributed between $154 billion and $220 billion to the Gross Domestic Product of the United States in 2000, and undocumented immigrants paid up to $20 billion in Social Security taxes between 1990 and 1998. Immigrants paid $80,000 per person more in taxes during their lifetime than they received in public benefits as of 1998; due to immigrants' younger age profile compared to the "native" population, immigrants will contribute up to $500 billion to Social Security from 1998 to 2022, according to a report by the Office of Migration and Refugee Policy and the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.

U.S. born children to undocumented immigrants are included and considered illegal in most studies. However, they do contribute to our economy by paying taxes, working and buying homes, goods and services adding to the stimulus on our economy just as their parents do.

A city economic study reported that the south side households in the predominately Latino community located inside Postal Zip Code 53204 in Milwaukee spend more than $91 million annually in retail goods, according to the 2006 Department of City Development statistics. In one day, they spent approximately $249,315.06. The biggest tax-generating base for the city comes solely from the south side.