MADISON, Wis. — Wisconsin Democrats want to make churches, schools and hospitals safe places for people who are living in the U.S. illegally after President Donald Trump removed protections for those so-called sensitive locations.
Their proposal is unlikely to pass, as Republicans control both chambers of the state Legislature.
Under the measure proposed Tuesday, state and local government employees, including law enforcement officers, would be prohibited from assisting federal immigration officers with making arrests at those locations or spending state money to detain people solely because of their immigration status.
“We can’t afford to pay the bill for a war going on in Washington,” Democratic Rep. Sylvia Ortiz-Velez said.
The proposal comes as federal agencies are carrying out Trump’s mass deportation plans in cities across the country, arresting thousands of migrants since Trump took office for his second term.
On Sunday alone, Immigration and Customs Enforcement reported making nearly 1,200 arrests. That’s compared to an average of 311 arrests made by ICE each day last year under the Biden Administration.
Last week, Trump signed an executive order allowing immigration enforcement officials to go into so-called sensitive locations to arrest migrants, overturning policies that have been in place since the Obama Administration to protect those locations.
Watch: Democrats want to protect churches and schools from immigration arrests
“Criminals will no longer be able to hide in America’s schools and churches to avoid arrest,” a spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security said.
Under the measure proposed by Wisconsin Democrats, healthcare and childcare centers, public buildings, schools, and houses of worship would not be required to provide access to federal agencies carrying out deportations, and local law enforcement could not assist with immigration-related arrests at those places, unless otherwise required by a judicial warrant.
“These are places that are sensitive. Places that people go to seek spiritual support and healing, health care, and to learn,” Darryl Morin, national president of Wisconsin-based Forward Latino, said.
Republicans who control the Legislature have their own plans. Assembly Speaker Robin Vos has vowed to bring forward legislation to require local law enforcement agencies to cooperate with ICE in its deportation efforts. Following Democratic Gov. Tony Evers’ annual State of the State Address last week, Vos told reporters the bill would be announced sometime this week.
Vos didn’t say Tuesday whether that was still the plan, but he knocked Democrats’ plan in an emailed statement.
“While Democrats continue to protect illegal immigrants who commit crimes by tying the hands of local law enforcement, Republicans will continue to support the Trump administration in its goal of enforcing our immigration laws with whatever help we can provide,” he said.
Republicans’ plans also face an uphill battle, as Evers, a Democrat, is likely to veto any immigration bill they pass.
It’s about time to watch on your time. Stream local news and weather 24/7 by searching for “TMJ4” on your device.
Available for download on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and more.
