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On July 17, State Assembly District 8 Rep. Sylvia Ortiz-Velez withdrew her application for a recommendation for endorsement from the Milwaukee Area Labor Council after a dispute with its members over her stance on Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activity in Milwaukee.
Ortiz-Velez, who is in her third term in the State Assembly, interviewed with members of the labor council as they weighed whether to recommend her for an endorsement from the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations, one of the largest union federations in the country.
During the meeting, Ortiz-Velez said "false claims" were made about her views on ICE activity, adding that members criticized her for not protecting the community or understanding fears surrounding immigration enforcement.
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The state representative took to Facebook to announce her withdrawal from the labor council endorsement process, stating that she was disappointed by the behavior of council members and that the organization's president, Pam Fendt, "allowed someone to make false claims in a hostile manner."
Ortiz-Velez told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that she had decided to leave the meeting early and withdraw her application for endorsement. She will continue working with the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations at the state level, even without the recommendation of the Milwaukee Labor Council.
Fendt said that many immigrant workers have expressed concerns to the council about increased immigration activity in Milwaukee. She said that during the interview, a labor council member "forcefully and passionately" asked Ortiz-Velez about her stance on the issue, but said the question was not asked with hostility.
"I think if she had stayed a couple more minutes, we would have turned this interview around," Fendt said. "I don't think the member was trying to accuse her of anything ... it was simply an open-ended question. I do regret what happened."
Ortiz-Velez has previously said that "'ICE Out' is a fiction," citing the federal agency's right to enter Milwaukee under the 10th Amendment. She said she instead supports holding immigration agents accountable for following city and state laws.
Ortiz-Velez said she took offense to comments allegedly made at the meeting because she has worked to pass bills that support Wisconsin's immigrant communities, such as the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) occupational licensing bill, which allows DACA recipients to obtain licenses in high-demand fields like nursing and teaching.
Aside from the recent dispute with the local labor council, Ortiz-Velez has been embroiled in conflict among her fellow Democrats in the state house.
Earlier this year, Ortiz-Velez was not included in a resolution to recognize Hispanic Heritage Month in Wisconsin and allegedly made threatening comments to members of the Democratic caucus, eventually leading to her being charged with disorderly conduct in February.
Ortiz-Velez pleaded no contest in March to resolve the case, meaning she accepted a conviction under the charge without conceding guilt. She said it was clear she had made no threats to her colleagues, and she was hurt by being excluded from a bill honoring Hispanic Heritage Month.
Her challenger in the Aug. 11 primary, Ismael Luna, has pointed to Ortiz-Velez's conflict within the Democratic Party as a sign that a change in leadership in Assembly District 8 is needed.
"When that happened, I was in shock," Luna said, referring to the incident in February. "I'm serious about safety, and as elected officials, we should be able to hold ourselves to a [higher] standard."
Ortiz-Velez said the claim that this conflict signals a need for a change in leadership is "farfetched" and "desperate" as her accomplishments and experience throughout her three terms prove she's the best fit for the role.
"I can make the impacts and address the issues," Ortiz-Velez. "I don't know of anyone that can do that at this time like I can."
Alyssa Salcedo covers Silver City, Layton Park and Burnham Park for the Journal Sentinel’s Neighborhood Dispatch. Contact her at [email protected].
Neighborhood Dispatch reporting is supported by Zilber Family Foundation, Bader Philanthropies, Journal Foundation, Northwestern Mutual Foundation, Greater Milwaukee Foundation, and reader contributions to the Journal Sentinel Community-Funded Journalism Project. Journal Sentinel editors maintain full editorial control over all content. To support this work, visit jsonline.com/support. Checks can be addressed to Local Media Foundation (memo: “JS Community Journalism”) and mailed to P.O. Box 85015, Chicago, IL 60689.
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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Sylvia Ortiz-Velez withdraws labor endorsement bid after dispute
