Wisconsin Sanctuary Proposed Bill Released And Bipartisan Legislative Co-sponsors Sought

A Sanctuary proposed bill by State Legislature Democrats was released, and it prohibits local county sheriffs and other law enforcement agencies in the state from collaborating and working with U.S. ICE.

By H. Nelson Goodson

Hispanic News Network U.S.A.

July 31, 2019

Milwaukee, Wisconsin - On Tuesday, State Senator Chris Larson (D), State Assembly Representative Jonathan Brostoff (D) and State Representative Marisabel Cabrera (D), the lead authors of the proposed Sanctuary Bill along with other groups and allies held a press conference at City Hall in Milwaukee to announce the proposed Sanctuary Bill, which would prohibit or limit any collaboration between local law enforcement agencies including county sheriffs and ICE, and a second bill would prohibit private prisons in Wisconsin. According to one of the co-authors of the newly proposed Sanctuary Bill, it would also prohibit the Waukesha County Sheriff's Department Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), which is the primary law enforcement agency and investigate arm for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. The Waukesha County Sheriff's Department (WCSD) MOA with ICE expired in June 30 and the WCSD is in the process of renewing the MOA agreement. The 287g allows trained county sheriff deputies or county sheriff's corrections staff to act like immigration enforcement agents when processing inmates.

In the last seven months, Governor Tony Evers (D) hasn't addressed the issue with the 287g MOA in Waukesha County.

When contacted on Wednesday and asked if the Sanctuary Bill would prohibit 287g in the state, State Representative Brostoff stated, "...my understanding is that they would actually be covered by the language of the bill as written...By using broader categorical language it also covers and preempts other potential issues that go beyond 287g as well." The Sanctuary Bill also allows for the DOJ to provide a policy of limited authority for local law enforcement agencies under the bill.