Last week was the first public hearing for a Wisconsin bill that would force local sheriff’s departments to work with and assist Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE.
The bill says that anyone charged with a felony who is unable to verify their immigration status will be reported to ICE. Departments that don’t comply risk losing 15% of their state funding.
At the hearing, every public comment spoke against the proposed legislation.
Julie Mankowski pointed out how the bill disregards the constitutional right of due process.
“It is necessary to consider what is happening in our country in relation to ICE and how it’s going about its business,” Mankowski said. “And you intend to enable it.”
Amanda Merkwae is the advocacy director for the ACLU of Wisconsin. She said something like this has already been tried. The result was widespread racial profiling.
“A 2022 ACLU report detailed how an existing ICE/sheriff cooperation program, particularly 287(g), has a long history of racism and targeting of immigrant communities,” Merkwae said. “Despite being advertised as public safety initiatives.”
Republican state Rep. Jim Piwowarczyk of Hubertus co-authored the bill. He talked about the need to ensure the public is safe from people without proper documentation.
“There have been too many incidents of Wisconsin residents losing their lives at the hands of illegal immigrants or being victimized by them,” Piwowarczyks said.
While there have been many well-publicized crimes, according to multiple studies — including the government’s own National Institute of Justice — immigration is associated with lower crime rates and increased neighborhood safety.
Recent reporting by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel also shows that a majority of sheriff’s departments would already cooperate with ICE if asked.
Some speakers at the hearing called the bill another attack on immigrants. Iuscely Flores talked about how such attacks date back before the Trump administration. Flores said that when Scott Walker was governor, her dad was regularly targeted by the local sheriff’s department.
“My mom and my dad self-deported,” Flores said. “I don’t have any siblings. I don’t have any relatives here in the U.S. I’m here by myself. They’ve taken everything away from me and they took away my fear. I’m not afraid of you. And we are not afraid of you. We will do everything we can to protect our communities against all of you.”
Gov. Evers has committed to vetoing the legislation if it makes it to his desk.
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