Showing bravery and solidarity in the face of threats, thousands of Latinos, immigrants, refugees and their supporters rallied outside of the Milwaukee County Courthouse on Monday to resist the anti-immigrant agenda of President Donald Trump and to call for the resignation of Milwaukee County Sheriff David Clarke.
“We will not stand by while you realize discrimination and break up families," said Christine Neumann-Ortiz, executive director of Voces de la Frontera, the primary organizer of the rally.
At least 150 businesses around the state closed Monday as part of A Day without Latinos, Immigrants and Refugees to highlight immigrants’ importance to our economy.
Workers from meat-packing plants, the dairy industry, construction, agriculture, hotels and restaurants took the day off to protest Clarke’s alleged plans to make his deputies part of federal immigration law enforcement under a federal policy known as 287g. Clarke’s Facebook page states his office hasn’t enrolled in the federal program, but he broadly supports Trump’s anti-immigrant agenda.
Many local law enforcement officials, including MPD Chief Ed Flynn, say forcing officers and deputies to do federal immigration checks undermines public safety.
“I think we can add this one extra thing to the list of reasons why Sheriff Clarke should resign now," Milwaukee County Supervisor Supreme Moore Omokunde said to wild applause at the rally.
Immigrants of disputed legal status are concerned about the impact of Trump and Clarke’s targeting of immigrants, but they’re not letting fear stop them from protesting. In fact, immigrant groups are joining forces with allied organizations and local elected officials to resist the new regime.
“I want you to stand proud and dignified," Janan Najeeb, head of the Milwaukee Muslim Women’s Coalition, told the crowd. “We have shown Trump and his bigoted advisors the power of people. They thought they could ban immigrants, Muslims and refugees and no one would care."
