Hundreds rally against Trump immigration policies

A pastor of a New Berlin church offered "sanctuary to people threatened by legal separation" Saturday during a rally that drew hundreds of immigration rights activists to the steps of the Milwaukee County Courthouse.

"We want our church to be a safe space," said Manuel Rios of Iglesia Casa de Estaurcion, joining a national movement of so-called "sanctuary churches" vowing to protect undocumented immigrants from being deported by President-elect Donald Trump's administration.

The declaration by Rios was made during a Day of Action, as supporters of immigrants held rallies in 24 states and Washington, D.C.,

The Milwaukee march and rally was led by Voces de la Frontera. The group's executive director, Christine Neumann-Ortiz, said the message to the incoming Trump administration was: "We are here to stay, and we are ready to fight for our community and stand together."

Marchers made their way from the group's headquarters on the south side to the courthouse. One person dressed up as the Statue of Liberty on stilts.

"We are all Wisconsin," said a sign carried by one member of the crowd. Woody Guthrie's "This Land is Your Land" was performed in English and Spanish.

"We oppose Trump's ideas against immigrants," said Diego Garduno of Milwaukee, who attended the rally with his cousin who was visiting from Mexico.

Immigrant rights groups fear Trump's administration will boost deportations. They also are worried that Trump will fulfill his campaign pledge to repeal the Obama administration's Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) initiative. That program enabled young undocumented immigrants to be protected from deportation.

"I know I will stand up to protect DACA. If anything happens to DACA we'll be at the front steps of the White House," said Daniel Gutierrez, a senior at Pius XI High School who filed for the program in 2013.

Gutierrez works in the legal clinic for Voces de la Frontera. He plans to attend college in the fall and study pre-law.

"I want to become an immigration lawyer," he said.

Milwaukee County Supervisor Marina Dimitrijevic told the crowd that she'll soon introduce a "Trump Resistance Bill."

She said she wanted the Milwaukee County Courthouse to be a "sensitive location" so that "people can seek public safety and not be threatened and worried about their families being separated" if they are undocumented immigrants.

"We will never, ever participate in any kind of registry," she said. "We will never be divided."