Democrats to throw Immigrant Workers under the bus

Madison, WI- Last June 27th, Senators HANSEN, WIRCH, HOLPERIN, ERPENBACH , CARPENTER and Representative STASKUNAS introduced an anti immigrant bill, that would make Companies that hire undocumented workers ineligible for certain tax exemptions, governmental contracts, grants, and loans, granting rule−making authority, and providing penalties. [entire text of bill]

The Immigrant Workers Union (IWU) shows concern and surprise “what could motive the democratic party to write such a bill? Immigration is a federal matter. It is true that the current status quo only benefits the constant abuse and exploitation of workers across the State, but bills like this will not change anything other than create more out of the books jobs in the dairy industry which by the way will cut state revenue through payroll” said Alex Gillis leader of the IWU, “it makes me wonder why would the democratic party fight for this?”.

In what it seems a  public competition on who is tougher  on undocumented immigration, the democrats set the tone on undocumented immigration, just 3 months after Rep. Pridemore introduced  the Arizona’s SB1070 Copycat bill LRB 1116/1 which “requires a law enforcement officer to determine whether a person who is arrested for or charged with a crime or civil violation is lawfully present in the state if the officer has reasonable suspicion that the person is not lawfully present” [from the text of the bill]

Immigrant advocates indicate this is likely not only an electoral pose but a change on the Democratic Party policies Immigration and labor in Wisconsin, “The democratic party has a unique opportunity, a duty really, to engage the hundreds of thousands workers, amoung them undocumented immigrants, who went to the street to protest Scott Walker policies. During the uprising in Wisconsin, there is no doubt people had illusions that the Democratic Party would represent different policies than the Republican Party in power” says Yvonne Geerts immigrant rights advocate and organizer, “ with this bill we can see the democratic party coming back to the old-electoral politics, not principles, not differences, it is painfully obvious that the democraty party wants no progress in Wisconsin, just win the election even if it means to throw  undocumented workers under the bus”

 The immigrant Workers Union states “the victims of this bill, once again, will be the workers of Wisconsin with or without papers. This bill will raise the anti immigrant climate and will accomplish only one thing: undocumented workers will still working in the same companies but instead be in the payroll they will be paid in cash, this move to out-of- the-books employment will eliminate a new layer of workers protections which will affect the overall wages in Wisconsin; reducing the contributions to unemployment, social security and local and state taxes as less workers will be paid through payroll.”

“The implications of this political move are deep and threatening, as Walker plans to introduce more anti workers policies , the democratic party is failing to protect workers in Wisconsin”- continues Alex Gillis-“I think this is not design to pass the legislature but to position the Democratic Party  towards the coming elections, basically, to show that the Democratic Party is as “taught” as the Republicans when it comes to undocumented immigration, the problem is that this sets a new framework for immigration policies in Wisconsin. Now both Reps and Dems are in a basic agreement that the State of Wisconsin should legislate against undocumented immigration. With some exceptions like Jocasta Zamarripa , for example, the Democratic Party is pretty much justifying Rep. Pridemore’s logic of taking a federal issue into state legislation hands. It is a sad day for immigrant and human rights in Wisconsin.”

The Immigrant Workers Union is preparing a public campaign to ask the Demcoratic Party to withdraw this bill and actually devote their energies to fight against Rep. Pridemore Bill.