Immigrant advocacy group: Walker policies inspired by racism

The leader of a Milwaukee-based immigrant advocate group says Gov. Scott Walker’s immigration policies are inspired by racism.

The Republican governor announced his presidential bid Monday. Immigrant advocacy groups held a teleconference hours after the announcement to rail against his immigration policies.

Christine Neumann-Ortiz, executive director of Milwaukee-based Voces de la Frontera, says Walker has an enforcement-first agenda — meaning he wants people living in the country illegally to leave. She says her group believes Walker’s agenda is a clear expression of someone trying to sow the seeds of racial and ethnic hatred.

Walker’s campaign spokeswoman, AshLee Strong, calls “recent attempts by extreme liberal activists to distort and mischaracterize Gov. Walker’s position only underscore how much the far left fears his candidacy.”