Group affiliated with Voces de la Frontera heads to Madison to speak on three bills involving immigrant rights

MADISON -- A public hearing was held on Wednesday, January 20th in Madison on three bills involving immigrant and worker rights.

On Wednesday morning, a group of people affiliated with Voces de la Frontera left Milwaukee on buses to head to Madison to voice their concerns about the bills.

According to Voces officials, the bills being debated would encourage police to detain undocumented people for deportation, ban county governments from creating local ID cards, and impound the vehicles of those stopped for driving without a license.

CLICK HERE to read Assembly Bill 450: Relating to: prohibiting local ordinances, resolutions, and policies that prohibit immigration status inquiries and reports to, and cooperation with, other units of government about the presence of illegal aliens, authorizing certain elective officeholders to commence an enforcement action, and providing a reduction in shared revenue payments.

CLICK HERE to read Senate Bill 533: Relating to: regulating the production and use of photo identification cards by local units of government.

CLICK HERE to read Assembly Bill 92: Relating to: penalties for violations related to the motor vehicle liability insurance requirement, proof of financial responsibility, and providing a penalty.

The Associated Press says more than 100 people registered to speak at an Assembly committee hearing on Assembly Bill 450 -- a bill aimed at preventing sanctuary cities for immigrants living in the country illegally.

The bill would bar local governments from prohibiting law enforcement from inquiring about immigration status or working with federal immigration authorities. Communities that do enact such policies or resolutions could be challenged in court and could lose $500 to $5,000 of state aid each day of noncompliance.

Opponents say the bill is anti-immigrant and could hurt law enforcement's relationship with immigrant communities.

Bill author Rep. John Spiros, a Marshfield Republican, says the bill's scope is to ensure the safety of residents and doesn't require communities to enforce federal immigration laws.