By LaToya Dennis
WUWM, Milwaukee, WI
September 26, 2011
This summer, the Obama administration announced it was halting deportations of non-criminal undocumented immigrants, until it could review each case. Many advocates applauded the decision, calling it a first step toward allowing many workers and students living here illegally to remain. Critics voiced opposition to what they call - amnesty for law-breakers. A few years ago, the Pew Hispanic Center estimated that Wisconsin is home to between 75,000 and 115,000 illegal immigrants. As WUWM’s LaToya Dennis reports, the change in White House policy is not easing the fears of some. For nearly two decades, Marco Espinosa and his wife have made a life for themselves in Milwaukee. They have two children - a 14 year old daughter and a son who’s 12. To help support his family, Espinosa works as a cook – he won’t say where. But he does say that the only difference between his family and most others is that he and his wife are in the U.S. illegally.
“I don’t feel bad about it,” Espinosa says.
…Because, Espinosa says, he’s never taken a handout or asked for help.
“They say illegal people, they’re coming here because we get benefits and stuff like that. Like I say, I don’t get no benefits. All the benefits I got is a job in this country. This is why I come into this country, I come looking for job. I got a job. I always do the job the best way I can. That’s why I don’t feel bad,” Espinosa says.
Espinosa says outside of being arrested a few years back for driving without a license, he has never been in legal trouble…but did have a scare. He says back in July, police and agents from the FBI and ICE - Immigration and Customers Enforcement- arrested him in front of his home. According to Espinosa, they suspected him of being a gang member.
“If I been involved in a gang member you know, I’ll tell everybody the truth. But I’m not involved in any gang or stuff like that,” Espinosa says.
Espinosa says he was held for nearly a month. He believes authorities targeted him because they know he’s here illegally and want to force him to leave. But he also has a common name, and a few others with the same, do have warrants out for their arrest.
“I’m living here for 18 years, you know. I got two kids, they born over here, they grew up over here, they are American citizens. I don’t see why I should have to leave my kids here or take my kids back to Mexico,” Marco says.
Espinosa is one of 300,000 undocumented immigrants whose deportation case is now on hold, at least temporarily. Primitivo Torres calls the new Obama administration policy ordering reviews of so-called low priority cases, a welcome change. Torres is president of the local immigrant advocacy group, Voces De La Frontera.
“What does that mean, a low priority case? It means you don’t have a criminal background, you have an extended stay here in the United States. If if you have children who are who are citizens of the United States that’s also a factor,” Torres says.
Torres says people have been contacting his organization daily, expressing fears about being forced to leave the U.S., if police pull them over, for say, a traffic violation. He hopes Washington eventually reforms its immigration laws so people who’ve come here to take jobs, can stay if they’ve been decent residents.
Wisconsin state Rep. Donald Pridemore also wants reform, but of a different variety. He’s introduced a bill similar to one in Arizona. The measure gives law enforcement the power to turn people over to immigration officials, if the person has broken the law and cannot provide identification.
“Our particular bill deals with the criminal element. It doesn’t go after employers or anything like that. It’s only about a six-page bill compared to Arizona’s bill which is about 43 pages,” Pridemore says.
Pridemore says his goal is to force the federal government’s hand to deal with people who have entered the country illegally.
“It was introduced in order to hopefully move the federal government toward enforcing the immigration laws we currently have on the books or address the issue from a national standpoint. We want the federal government to stop ignoring the situation,” Pridemore says.
Pridemore hopes legislative leaders schedule his bill for a hearing in upcoming months. Several other proposals may be forthcoming. Bills expected to be introduced in Wisconsin include one requiring proof of citizenship to receive public assistance, and another that would withhold from businesses tax credits, loans and public contracts if those firms hire undocumented workers. Meanwhile, Marco Espinosa awaits a ruling on his case.
“I don’t know. Obama, he make a lot of promises. I don’t know what’s going to happen,” Espinosa says.
Espinosa says if he is ordered out of the country, he only hopes he’s given enough time to get things in order and ensure his family will be OK.
http://www.wuwm.com/programs/news/view_news.php?articleid=9193
Showing posts with label Expulsions in WI. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Expulsions in WI. Show all posts
Monday, September 26, 2011
Saturday, July 17, 2010
County leaders want info on sheriff's immigration policies
Informal inquiry falls short of advocates' call for investigation into immigration agency ties
By Steve Schultze
Milwaukee-Wisconsin Journal Sentinel
July 15, 2010
Milwaukee County supervisors said Thursday they wanted more details on Sheriff David A. Clarke Jr.'s policies on dealing with illegal immigrants, but the informal inquiry falls short of the "immediate formal investigation" called for by immigrant advocates.
Voces de la Frontera and other advocates sought an investigation of links between the sheriff's office and the federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency, citing anecdotal evidence of some undocumented immigrants who were deported after arrests on minor offenses.
That conflicts with recent federal immigration enforcement policy of focusing on dangerous criminals and suspected terrorists, said Christine Neumann-Ortiz, executive director of the Voces group. She said the Milwaukee County sheriff's office collaborated with ICE on the deportations.
The sheriff's office received about $135,000 in 2009, $58,000 in 2008, $117,000 in 2007 and $127,000 in 2006 from the federal agency to help cover costs of detaining inmates who are illegal immigrants, according to information from the sheriff.
Deputy Inspector Richard Schmidt said he knew of no written agreement between the sheriff's office and ICE on detaining suspected illegal immigrants.
Data on a person's immigration status is obtained only after someone is arrested for some other offense, Schmidt said.
"We do not go around asking people what their immigration status is," he said.
Clarke, in a written statement, said his office provides the same information on people booked into the county jail to federal immigration officials that's publicly available to anyone.
"For anyone to say we should not cooperate with a legally authorized law enforcement agency by sharing our legally obtained information so that they can carry out their lawful responsibility flies in the face of the law enforcement officers' code of conduct," Clarke said in the statement. "This is what happens when emotion replaces logic and reason."
Members of the board's Judiciary Committee requested statistics on the number of county jail inmates turned over to the ICE annually, a fuller explanation of the federal aid and whether participation in the ICE program is voluntary.
Supervisor Lynne De Bruin said she also wanted to know whether the sheriff's policies had changed on dealing with illegal immigrants.
"I'd like to know what the facts are," she said. "I don't know how many are deported out of Milwaukee County each year. I don't know if it's a growing problem or a minor problem."
Davorin Odrcic, a Milwaukee immigration lawyer, said he'd seen a surge in calls for help on immigration problems over the last year but said he had no hard evidence on whether arrests and deportations were up.
On another matter Thursday, the Judiciary Committee sidetracked a proposal to make disclosure of closed-session comments a violation of the county ethics code. Supervisor Joseph Rice said the measure was needed to "protect the legal and fiscal interests of Milwaukee County."
The proposal was prompted by De Bruin's disclosure of remarks made by John Chianelli, administrator of the county's Behavioral Health Division, in an April 14 closed meeting on sexual assault at the Mental Health Complex. Chianelli said housing dangerous male patients in the same ward as female patients was a trade-off, according to De Bruin. The trade-off was less violence for some level of sexual assault of female patients in mixed wards.
The board censured De Bruin for releasing her notes on the closed session and a letter she wrote to Chianelli after the meeting. She provided copies to the Journal Sentinel in response to a request under the open records law.
The judiciary panel voted, 4-2, to refer the issue to the county corporation counsel for legal advice.
http://www.jsonline.com/news/milwaukee/98575184.html
By Steve Schultze
Milwaukee-Wisconsin Journal Sentinel
July 15, 2010
Milwaukee County supervisors said Thursday they wanted more details on Sheriff David A. Clarke Jr.'s policies on dealing with illegal immigrants, but the informal inquiry falls short of the "immediate formal investigation" called for by immigrant advocates.
Voces de la Frontera and other advocates sought an investigation of links between the sheriff's office and the federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency, citing anecdotal evidence of some undocumented immigrants who were deported after arrests on minor offenses.
That conflicts with recent federal immigration enforcement policy of focusing on dangerous criminals and suspected terrorists, said Christine Neumann-Ortiz, executive director of the Voces group. She said the Milwaukee County sheriff's office collaborated with ICE on the deportations.
The sheriff's office received about $135,000 in 2009, $58,000 in 2008, $117,000 in 2007 and $127,000 in 2006 from the federal agency to help cover costs of detaining inmates who are illegal immigrants, according to information from the sheriff.
Deputy Inspector Richard Schmidt said he knew of no written agreement between the sheriff's office and ICE on detaining suspected illegal immigrants.
Data on a person's immigration status is obtained only after someone is arrested for some other offense, Schmidt said.
"We do not go around asking people what their immigration status is," he said.
Clarke, in a written statement, said his office provides the same information on people booked into the county jail to federal immigration officials that's publicly available to anyone.
"For anyone to say we should not cooperate with a legally authorized law enforcement agency by sharing our legally obtained information so that they can carry out their lawful responsibility flies in the face of the law enforcement officers' code of conduct," Clarke said in the statement. "This is what happens when emotion replaces logic and reason."
Members of the board's Judiciary Committee requested statistics on the number of county jail inmates turned over to the ICE annually, a fuller explanation of the federal aid and whether participation in the ICE program is voluntary.
Supervisor Lynne De Bruin said she also wanted to know whether the sheriff's policies had changed on dealing with illegal immigrants.
"I'd like to know what the facts are," she said. "I don't know how many are deported out of Milwaukee County each year. I don't know if it's a growing problem or a minor problem."
Davorin Odrcic, a Milwaukee immigration lawyer, said he'd seen a surge in calls for help on immigration problems over the last year but said he had no hard evidence on whether arrests and deportations were up.
On another matter Thursday, the Judiciary Committee sidetracked a proposal to make disclosure of closed-session comments a violation of the county ethics code. Supervisor Joseph Rice said the measure was needed to "protect the legal and fiscal interests of Milwaukee County."
The proposal was prompted by De Bruin's disclosure of remarks made by John Chianelli, administrator of the county's Behavioral Health Division, in an April 14 closed meeting on sexual assault at the Mental Health Complex. Chianelli said housing dangerous male patients in the same ward as female patients was a trade-off, according to De Bruin. The trade-off was less violence for some level of sexual assault of female patients in mixed wards.
The board censured De Bruin for releasing her notes on the closed session and a letter she wrote to Chianelli after the meeting. She provided copies to the Journal Sentinel in response to a request under the open records law.
The judiciary panel voted, 4-2, to refer the issue to the county corporation counsel for legal advice.
http://www.jsonline.com/news/milwaukee/98575184.html
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
More illegal immigrants being deported for lesser offenses, advocate says
By Georgia Pabst
Milwaukee Wisconsin Journal Sentinel
July 11, 2010
Rogelio Calderon-Gonzalez and two friends were going to play soccer last October when Greenfield police stopped the driver of the car.
The driver and the two other passengers, including Calderon-Gonzalez, were asked for identification so police could run a check.
Calderon-Gonzalez, 27, was told there was an outstanding warrant for operating a vehicle without a license, so he was taken into custody and booked into the Milwaukee County Jail.
Later he was questioned by immigration officials. He now faces deportation back to Mexico.
A review of court records shows the warrant appears to date back to 2005. Sitting in the upstairs of the duplex he shares with his girlfriend and their 10-month-old daughter, he said he thought that matter had been settled long ago.
"I don't know why there was a warrant," he said.
Calderon-Gonzalez came to the United States illegally at age 16. Since then he's worked in restaurants and other low-paying jobs. He's always known that he could face deportation.
He doesn't smoke or do drugs and hasn't committed any crimes, said Iliama Santos, his girlfriend. And although he's been stopped for traffic violations since 2005, his immigration status never came up, he said.
But these days Calderon-Gonzalez and many other illegal immigrants find themselves in deportation proceedings for traffic and various other infractions, says Christine Neumann-Ortiz, director of Voces de la Frontera, a low-wage worker and immigrant advocacy group.
"In the past few years, we have seen a disturbing trend of escalated arrests of non-criminal immigrants who, through collaboration of local law enforcement agencies and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), end up in deportation proceedings," she wrote in a letter to Milwaukee County Board Chairman Lee Holloway and other county supervisors.
Voces has "documented dozens of cases in the past 12 months in which immigrants, arrested for traffic violations or crime for which they were later found innocent, are now facing deportation," she wrote.
There also are increasing concerns about civil and labor rights violations, as well as racial profiling, she wrote.
Voces asked the Milwaukee County Board to start a formal investigation of the collaboration between ICE and the Sheriff's Department.
She was joined in the request for the investigation by the Milwaukee Commission on Community Police Relations immigration and racial profiling task force, which includes the NAACP, Islamic Society, the Council for the Spanish Speaking and the Sherman Park Association.
The request is scheduled to be on the agenda for the next meeting of the County Board's Judiciary, Safety and General Services Committee at 9 a.m. Thursday.
While ICE targets illegal immigrants who are a threat to public safety and the more severe criminals as its highest priority for deportation, other illegal immigrants who have been arrested may be deported as well, said Carl Rusnok, a spokesman for ICE.
In fiscal year 2009, ICE deported 387,790 illegal immigrants, he said. Of those 136,116 had criminal convictions, he said. One reason deportations have increased in recent years is because of "increased efficiencies," more publicity and more information to local law enforcement about the criminal alien program, he said.
Voces also has written a separate open records request to Milwaukee County Sheriff David A. Clarke Jr. asking for records on policies, practices of the department related to the citizenship or immigration status, national origin, or places of birth of individuals held in the department's custody and its cooperation with ICE and funding received.
"My role in this thing is to enforce the law and not make subjective decisions," said Clarke. "We work and cooperate with all law enforcement in sharing information."
He explained that ICE has access to the names of everyone booked into the jail - the same information that's available to the public and the media. He said everyone who is arrested and booked is asked for name, date of birth, place of birth, Social Security number and biographical data.
"We don't investigate (the immigration status), we just collect the information," he said.
"For someone to suggest we shouldn't allow another law enforcement agency access to our information is ridiculous, but it happens," he said.
He added: "I believe, based on things going on around the country concerning immigration, passion and emotion now have replaced logic and reason."
Under the State Criminal Alien Assistance Program, the Sheriff's Department receives money to help offset spending related to incarcerating undocumented immigrants. Last year that amount was about $135,000; the year before that it was about $60,000, Clarke said.
The funding goes back about five years, Clarke said.
http://www.jsonline.com/news/milwaukee/98212579.html
Milwaukee Wisconsin Journal Sentinel
July 11, 2010
Rogelio Calderon-Gonzalez and two friends were going to play soccer last October when Greenfield police stopped the driver of the car.
The driver and the two other passengers, including Calderon-Gonzalez, were asked for identification so police could run a check.
Calderon-Gonzalez, 27, was told there was an outstanding warrant for operating a vehicle without a license, so he was taken into custody and booked into the Milwaukee County Jail.
Later he was questioned by immigration officials. He now faces deportation back to Mexico.
A review of court records shows the warrant appears to date back to 2005. Sitting in the upstairs of the duplex he shares with his girlfriend and their 10-month-old daughter, he said he thought that matter had been settled long ago.
"I don't know why there was a warrant," he said.
Calderon-Gonzalez came to the United States illegally at age 16. Since then he's worked in restaurants and other low-paying jobs. He's always known that he could face deportation.
He doesn't smoke or do drugs and hasn't committed any crimes, said Iliama Santos, his girlfriend. And although he's been stopped for traffic violations since 2005, his immigration status never came up, he said.
But these days Calderon-Gonzalez and many other illegal immigrants find themselves in deportation proceedings for traffic and various other infractions, says Christine Neumann-Ortiz, director of Voces de la Frontera, a low-wage worker and immigrant advocacy group.
"In the past few years, we have seen a disturbing trend of escalated arrests of non-criminal immigrants who, through collaboration of local law enforcement agencies and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), end up in deportation proceedings," she wrote in a letter to Milwaukee County Board Chairman Lee Holloway and other county supervisors.
Voces has "documented dozens of cases in the past 12 months in which immigrants, arrested for traffic violations or crime for which they were later found innocent, are now facing deportation," she wrote.
There also are increasing concerns about civil and labor rights violations, as well as racial profiling, she wrote.
Voces asked the Milwaukee County Board to start a formal investigation of the collaboration between ICE and the Sheriff's Department.
She was joined in the request for the investigation by the Milwaukee Commission on Community Police Relations immigration and racial profiling task force, which includes the NAACP, Islamic Society, the Council for the Spanish Speaking and the Sherman Park Association.
The request is scheduled to be on the agenda for the next meeting of the County Board's Judiciary, Safety and General Services Committee at 9 a.m. Thursday.
While ICE targets illegal immigrants who are a threat to public safety and the more severe criminals as its highest priority for deportation, other illegal immigrants who have been arrested may be deported as well, said Carl Rusnok, a spokesman for ICE.
In fiscal year 2009, ICE deported 387,790 illegal immigrants, he said. Of those 136,116 had criminal convictions, he said. One reason deportations have increased in recent years is because of "increased efficiencies," more publicity and more information to local law enforcement about the criminal alien program, he said.
Voces also has written a separate open records request to Milwaukee County Sheriff David A. Clarke Jr. asking for records on policies, practices of the department related to the citizenship or immigration status, national origin, or places of birth of individuals held in the department's custody and its cooperation with ICE and funding received.
"My role in this thing is to enforce the law and not make subjective decisions," said Clarke. "We work and cooperate with all law enforcement in sharing information."
He explained that ICE has access to the names of everyone booked into the jail - the same information that's available to the public and the media. He said everyone who is arrested and booked is asked for name, date of birth, place of birth, Social Security number and biographical data.
"We don't investigate (the immigration status), we just collect the information," he said.
"For someone to suggest we shouldn't allow another law enforcement agency access to our information is ridiculous, but it happens," he said.
He added: "I believe, based on things going on around the country concerning immigration, passion and emotion now have replaced logic and reason."
Under the State Criminal Alien Assistance Program, the Sheriff's Department receives money to help offset spending related to incarcerating undocumented immigrants. Last year that amount was about $135,000; the year before that it was about $60,000, Clarke said.
The funding goes back about five years, Clarke said.
http://www.jsonline.com/news/milwaukee/98212579.html
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Immigration arrests spark fear in Arcadia
By Chris Hubbuch
Lee Newspapers
February 25, 2010
ARCADIA, Wis. — Hispanic residents remained fearful Wednesday after federal immigration authorities made several arrests earlier this week in Arcadia.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement spokeswoman Gail Montenegro confirmed that agents were in Arcadia but would not provide details on the ongoing enforcement action except to say they are targeting specific individuals and not conducting random sweeps.
Rumors of raids swept through the Trempealeau County city of 2,402 people that made national news in 2006 after the mayor introduced a proposal to alert federal agents to complaints of undocumented workers and to penalize businesses that employ them.
Arcadia Mayor John Kimmel, reached by phone Wednesday, said he was out of the state and hadn’t heard about the activity. Alderman Kelly Diebold said he, too, was unaware of ICE’s activities.
Police Chief Pat Grzadzielewski was out of the office and could not be reached.
Emma Hanson, a Spanish language interpreter who works for local hospitals, said ICE agents knocked on doors Monday night looking for a list of people and made some arrests Tuesday.
She said people called her to cancel doctor’s appointments and she heard that others skipped work.
“Everybody’s scared,” Hanson said — even those in the country legally.
The Rev. Michael Klos, who celebrates a weekly Spanish Mass at the Holy Family Catholic Parish, said it appeared the people arrested had previous run- ins with the law.
Montenegro declined to say whether any arrests related to immigration status.
Business was slow Wednesday at the San Juan Mini Market on Main Street, where customers can buy Mexican food staples and phone cards, send faxes and wire money.
“People don’t want to go out,” owner Mateo Barrientos said. “The problem is the Latinos have a bad experience with ICE. We don’t like hearing ICE is around. Even I have papers. It makes a lot of people nervous.”
http://www.winonadailynews.com/news/local/article_bad841da-21cb-11df-b9bd-001cc4c03286.html
Lee Newspapers
February 25, 2010
ARCADIA, Wis. — Hispanic residents remained fearful Wednesday after federal immigration authorities made several arrests earlier this week in Arcadia.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement spokeswoman Gail Montenegro confirmed that agents were in Arcadia but would not provide details on the ongoing enforcement action except to say they are targeting specific individuals and not conducting random sweeps.
Rumors of raids swept through the Trempealeau County city of 2,402 people that made national news in 2006 after the mayor introduced a proposal to alert federal agents to complaints of undocumented workers and to penalize businesses that employ them.
Arcadia Mayor John Kimmel, reached by phone Wednesday, said he was out of the state and hadn’t heard about the activity. Alderman Kelly Diebold said he, too, was unaware of ICE’s activities.
Police Chief Pat Grzadzielewski was out of the office and could not be reached.
Emma Hanson, a Spanish language interpreter who works for local hospitals, said ICE agents knocked on doors Monday night looking for a list of people and made some arrests Tuesday.
She said people called her to cancel doctor’s appointments and she heard that others skipped work.
“Everybody’s scared,” Hanson said — even those in the country legally.
The Rev. Michael Klos, who celebrates a weekly Spanish Mass at the Holy Family Catholic Parish, said it appeared the people arrested had previous run- ins with the law.
Montenegro declined to say whether any arrests related to immigration status.
Business was slow Wednesday at the San Juan Mini Market on Main Street, where customers can buy Mexican food staples and phone cards, send faxes and wire money.
“People don’t want to go out,” owner Mateo Barrientos said. “The problem is the Latinos have a bad experience with ICE. We don’t like hearing ICE is around. Even I have papers. It makes a lot of people nervous.”
http://www.winonadailynews.com/news/local/article_bad841da-21cb-11df-b9bd-001cc4c03286.html
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Rally calls for end to immigration raids
Rally calls for end to immigration raids
More than 300 attend event in Green Bay
By Tony Walter
twalter@greenbaypressgazette.com
January 24, 2009
More than 300 people crowded into the St. Willebrord's Catholic Church parish hall in downtown Green Bay Thursday night to hear pleas for immigration reform and an end to raids by Immigration Customs Enforcement officials.
"In Green Bay, many people are on edge, even those who are documented," said the Rev. Ken DeGroot, pastor at the church where a Hispanic ministry began 19 years ago. He said efforts are needed to ask President Barack Obama to end the raids until a comprehensive immigration law can be passed.
The event was sponsored by Justice Organization Sharing Hope and United for Action.
Erika Sanchez, 23, who emigrated from Mexico five years ago with her family, urged the members of the audience to sign petitions that will be sent to Obama next month.
"I have hope," Sanchez said. "I think he's going to solve a lot of issues. My hope is that a lot of people can come out of the shadows."
Bishop David Ricken of the Catholic Diocese of Green Bay said immigration reform can help many people regain or preserve their dignity.
"We have the fundamental human gift of life," Ricken said. "There is a built-in right to life and dignity. We must practice what we preach as people of the Catholic faith, to reach out and make sure the fundamental needs are being met."
DeGroot cited the impact of ICE raids on families, saying they were leading to the "breaking up of families as well as the destruction of the integrity of the individual."
Dionis Montero, who came to the United States 16 years ago from the Dominican Republic and became a U.S. citizen six years ago, talked about the frustration he has encountered trying to bring his brother to this country.
"You cannot make it here legally," he said, adding that he has consistently followed legal steps and been denied. "We make this country better. We work hard."
Green Bay Alderwoman Celestine Jeffreys said a resolution from a recent meeting of the U.S. Conference of Mayors included a resolution seeking immigration reform while maintaining the laws.
"The mayors really want this to be fixed," Jeffreys said.
http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/article/20090124/GPG0101/901230543/1207/GPG01
More than 300 attend event in Green Bay
By Tony Walter
twalter@greenbaypressgazette.com
January 24, 2009
More than 300 people crowded into the St. Willebrord's Catholic Church parish hall in downtown Green Bay Thursday night to hear pleas for immigration reform and an end to raids by Immigration Customs Enforcement officials.
"In Green Bay, many people are on edge, even those who are documented," said the Rev. Ken DeGroot, pastor at the church where a Hispanic ministry began 19 years ago. He said efforts are needed to ask President Barack Obama to end the raids until a comprehensive immigration law can be passed.
The event was sponsored by Justice Organization Sharing Hope and United for Action.
Erika Sanchez, 23, who emigrated from Mexico five years ago with her family, urged the members of the audience to sign petitions that will be sent to Obama next month.
"I have hope," Sanchez said. "I think he's going to solve a lot of issues. My hope is that a lot of people can come out of the shadows."
Bishop David Ricken of the Catholic Diocese of Green Bay said immigration reform can help many people regain or preserve their dignity.
"We have the fundamental human gift of life," Ricken said. "There is a built-in right to life and dignity. We must practice what we preach as people of the Catholic faith, to reach out and make sure the fundamental needs are being met."
DeGroot cited the impact of ICE raids on families, saying they were leading to the "breaking up of families as well as the destruction of the integrity of the individual."
Dionis Montero, who came to the United States 16 years ago from the Dominican Republic and became a U.S. citizen six years ago, talked about the frustration he has encountered trying to bring his brother to this country.
"You cannot make it here legally," he said, adding that he has consistently followed legal steps and been denied. "We make this country better. We work hard."
Green Bay Alderwoman Celestine Jeffreys said a resolution from a recent meeting of the U.S. Conference of Mayors included a resolution seeking immigration reform while maintaining the laws.
"The mayors really want this to be fixed," Jeffreys said.
http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/article/20090124/GPG0101/901230543/1207/GPG01
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