After a town hall earlier this month in which Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) referred to immigrants as “anchor babies,” members of the Wisconsin immigrant-rights group Voces de la Frontera (and their youth arm, Youth Empowered in the Struggle), collected and delivered 7,226 petitions asking Ryan to apologize for using the term.
Last week, members of both groups assembled in Racine, Wisconsin, to protest Paul’s use of the term. As Cecilia Anguino of Voces de la Frontera said, “We want to stay supportive of Rep. Ryan, but using this term is a setback and doesn’t help promote good dialogue.”
In an email to the Journal-Times, a Ryan spokesperson wrote:
Congressman Ryan is diligently working with a bipartisan group of members in the House of Representatives to develop lasting, meaningful reforms to our broken immigration system. He appreciates the input he has received from Wisconsin residents, including representatives from Voces de la Frontera, as these discussions continue.
