Campaigns & Programs
Citizenship For All
Immigration reform in the United States is a longstanding pressing issue that requires urgent and comprehensive solutions, including a pathway to citizenship for the over 10.5 million undocumented immigrants who have been living long-term in the country.
Immigration reform in the United States is a longstanding pressing issue that requires urgent and comprehensive solutions, including a pathway to citizenship for the over 10.5 million undocumented immigrants who have been living long-term in the country.
Voces de la Frontera Action advocates for executive actions to address this need, emphasizing eliminating harmful programs like 287(g) that foster collaboration between local law enforcement and ICE. Such measures often lead to racial profiling and the erosion of trust in communities. It’s time to dismantle these practices and create policies reflecting immigrant communities’ contributions and rights.
Our team also champions victories like Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), Deferred Action for Labor Enforcement (DALE), and more recently, the “Keep Families Together” program, also known as “Parole in Place” (PIP), which have resulted from the unwavering efforts of the immigrant rights movement and have provided essential protections and opportunities for many. Still, further steps are needed. We call for expanded access to work permits and licenses for immigrant workers, ensuring they can contribute fully and safely to the economy. A pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants is not just a matter of fairness; by recognizing their vital role in our society, we also pave the way for a more equitable, safe, and dignified future for all.
Driver Licenses For All!
A top advocacy and lobby priority for Voces de la Frontera Action, the campaign to obtain Drivers Licenses for All aims to restore access to driver licenses for every eligible Wisconsinite, regardless of their immigration status.
A top advocacy and lobby priority for Voces de la Frontera Action, the campaign to obtain Drivers Licenses for All aims to restore access to driver licenses for every eligible Wisconsinite, regardless of their immigration status.
For decades, driver’s licenses had been available to immigrant drivers until a federal law blocked them in 2007. Since then, states have had to work to restore this access. Nineteen states and the District of Columbia have enacted laws making driver’s licenses accessible to all.
Removing barriers to driver’s license eligibility will improve safety, support families, and boost businesses. It serves the community, promotes human dignity, and advances the welfare of society. The benefits include:
Keeping Families Together
Immigrant parents and family caregivers without a license currently drive in fear of being stopped and potentially separated from their families. When a family member is absent from the home, it disrupts the lives of children and adversely affects their mental and emotional health.
Increasing Economic Opportunity
Immigrants with a driver’s license, including an estimated 47,000 undocumented workers in Wisconsin, will be able to support their families and contribute to the local economy, boosting local businesses and job creation.
Ensuring Safer Roads
Extending driver’s licenses to all Wisconsinites is a measure that promotes public safety and accountability, by helping police identify motorists stopped for traffic violations, checking traffic records, and allowing all drivers to get access to insurance. Licenses also provide critical information for first responders.
Boosting State Revenue
Restoring access to driver’s licenses would boost Wisconsin’s annual revenue by over a million dollars, as newly licensed drivers register their vehicles, state and local governments could see additional revenue of $2.9 million. Cities and counties with a wheel tax could also see increased revenue.
Making communities a welcoming place
Issuing driver’s licenses to all Wisconsinites promotes independence and community development, benefiting immigrants, unhoused individuals, those reentering society, and members of the LGBTQ+ community. To learn more about our Licenses for All! Campaign, click here.
No to 287G
287(g) is a discriminatory program that transforms local law enforcement into immigration agents, giving them the authority to investigate immigration status and potentially separate immigrant families.
287(g) is a discriminatory program that transforms local law enforcement into immigration agents, giving them the authority to investigate immigration status and potentially separate immigrant families.
The 287(g) program has historically exacerbated racial profiling and instilled fear in Black and Brown communities. Expanded significantly during the Trump Administration, 287(g) has intensified its role in mass deportations and marginalized immigrant populations. Experts highlight that the program deters immigrant communities from seeking help or participating in local activities. In 2017, 287(g) was implemented in eight Wisconsin counties—Waukesha, Manitowoc, Sheboygan, Marquette, Brown, Fond du Lac, Lafayette, and Waushara—without public input, amplifying concerns about its detrimental effects on local communities. To see our 287g resources, visit our Voces de la Frontera Website or click here.
Voceros por el Voto
Voceros por el Voto is our community-based relational voter program designed to inspire and mobilize voters through the power of personal connections. A Vocero ignites passion within their family and friend group to engage in democratic action by motivating people to register and vote for pro-immigrant, pro-labor candidates.
Empowering Voters through Personal Connections
Voceros por el Voto is our community-based relational voter program designed to inspire and mobilize voters through the power of personal connections. A Vocero ignites passion within their family and friend group to engage in democratic action by motivating people to register and vote for pro-immigrant, pro-labor candidates. As the largest Latine relational voter program in Wisconsin, Voceros por el Voto has been pivotal in delivering victories for statewide elections since 2018.
About the Program
Voces de la Frontera Action has developed and refined Voceros por el Voto to create a network of voters based on personal relationships and social networks. Even if you can’t vote, chances are, you know someone who can. Voters can be family, friends, co-workers, or anyone with whom you have a relationship. By joining the Voceros network, Voces de la Frontera Action empowers individuals with education and tools to persuade others to vote. Those who can vote are also encouraged to become Voceros.
Voceros are empowered to share personal stories and motivations to encourage others to vote for candidates and policies that benefit all working-class communities, including immigrants. This innovative approach is extremely effective because it cuts through political advertising noise, coming from a trusted source. It ensures that everyone is included in the political process, recognizing that we all have the ability to make our voices heard.
Youth Empowered in the Struggle (Yes)
Youth Empowered in the Struggle (YES) is a dynamic and transformative program dedicated to empowering Latine, immigrant, and BIPOC youth through leadership development, advocacy, and community engagement.
Youth Empowered in the Struggle (YES) is a dynamic and transformative program dedicated to empowering Latine, immigrant, and BIPOC youth through leadership development, advocacy, and community engagement. Recognized nationally for its impactful youth organizing since its founding in 2003, YES fosters a strong sense of identity and purpose among young people. It equips them with the skills, knowledge, and resources to become active leaders in the fight for social justice.
Participants engage in educational workshops, civic engagement projects, and cultural events designed to promote democratic activation, critical thinking, and a deep understanding of social issues. YES operates through a leadership committee and school-based chapters or clubs, primarily in high schools and a few universities. These chapters hold regular student-led meetings to address current organizing campaigns.
YES aims to create a powerful student voice within the school system and the community, collaborate with parents and educators to represent the interests of students, immigrants, and workers, and advocate for public education. This program instills a lifelong dedication to advocacy and activism, providing a supportive and creative environment to build a generation of empowered leaders committed to structural and systemic change.
Join us in the struggle for a better future—because when youth are empowered, our entire community thrives. Click here to become a YES member.
Essential Workers Rights Network (EWRN)
The Essential Workers Rights Network (EWRN) was founded in response to workplace abuses during the height of the COVID-19 outbreak. The EWRN’s mission is to strengthen workers’ leadership and promote mutual support in the workplace and across the Network.
The Essential Workers Rights Network (EWRN) was founded in response to workplace abuses during the height of the COVID-19 outbreak. The EWRN’s mission is to strengthen workers’ leadership and promote mutual support in the workplace and across the Network. We provide training on workers’ rights, empower workers to collectively address workplace concerns, and build community support, especially when legal protections are weak or do not exist. We also identify and fight for changes in laws and institutions to protect workers against all forms of discrimination and abuse, and the right to work with dignity.
Who is an essential worker?
Essential workers are the backbone of our society, providing indispensable services to ensure that our communities remain functional, vibrant, and safe, particularly in times of crisis. They often work in demanding and high-risk conditions, performing roles critical to our daily lives, maintaining infrastructure, and supporting vulnerable populations.
They contribute to fundamental sectors such as construction, utilities, transportation and logistics, healthcare, education, childcare, agriculture, and the food industry.
Despite their crucial role, essential workers often face inadequate pay, insufficient protective measures, limited access to healthcare, and lack of job security.
Deferred Action Labor Enforcement (DALE)
At Voces de la Frontera Action, we ground our work in the collective action of the immigrant rights movement and the legacy of immigrant workers on the frontlines, particularly those who have confronted some of the most oppressive forms of work-based discrimination.
As a result of these hard-fought victories, new policies have been adopted and opportunities have emerged for workers to organize, enact their rights, and build power to hold employers accountable for harm and legal violations. One such opportunity is DALE, or Deferred Action for Lawful Enforcement.
DALE is a form of prosecutorial discretion by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) that protects immigrant workers from deportation for a period of time. While it does not confer legal immigration status, it provides a reprieve and the potential for work authorization, allowing individuals to work legally in the U.S. for the duration of the deferred action, typically one or two years, with the possibility of renewal.
As part of our work, we provide critical training for workers to organize and advocate for their rights. We also lobby to increase the reach of protections and create paths to citizenship, ensuring that undocumented workers receive the legal assistance and guidance they need to address discrimination and other workplace challenges.
