MILWAUKEE — About 600 people with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America protested immigration policies and the conditions at the US- Mexico border in Milwaukee.
Members were in town for a national assembly. They walked about a mile from the Wisconsin Center to the Immigration building on Knapp Street, holding signs and chanting "immigrants are welcome here."
Presiding Bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Elizabeth Eaton said immigration law needs to be changed, but the need to act is now.
"We can't wait for immigration law. We have to take care of immigrants and refugees," said Eaton.
Senator Ron Johnson said about 495,000 people have come to this country illegally, or have shown up at the border without documentation claiming asylum.
"That's a crisis by anybody's definition, and we need to address it, and we are not addressing it properly because we need congress to pass a law to raise the bar on the initial asylum claim, so it's more accurately reflects the people that actually have a valid asylum claim versus just letting them in," Senator Johnson said.
ICE released this statement: "In response to recent protests, ICE has taken additional security measures to ensure employee safety and the security of all offices. ICE operations across the country have and will continue to proceed as normal despite these events. ICE fully respects the Constitutional rights of all people to peacefully express their opinions. ICE remains committed to performing its immigration enforcement mission consistent with federal law and agency policy."
