Wisconsin Assembly lawmakers passed a bill that requires sheriffs to comply with Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) authorities.
Under Assembly Bill 24, sheriffs must “request proof of legal presence status from individuals held in a county jail for an offense punishable as a felony,” an analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau says. “The bill also requires sheriffs to comply with detainers and administrative warrants received from the federal department of homeland security regarding individuals held in the county jail for a criminal offense.”
Should a sheriff not fulfill the requirements presented in the bill, the Department of Revenue (DOR) will “reduce the county’s shared revenue payments for the next year by 15 percent.”
Ashland County Sheriff Brian Zupke told local news outlet Ashland Daily Press that the bill will not affect “how we have always handled matters when dealing with Border Patrol or ICE.”
Republican Chanz Green told the outlet, “It is pretty simple: illegal immigrants who commit felonies have no place in America and should be deported immediately. We have to establish law enforcement’s ability to communicate with Immigration and Customs Enforcement Immigration when violent crimes occur — because the safety of our residents must always come first.”
Democrat Angel Stroud voted against the bill and said, in part, that she does not believe “county sheriffs —who are independently elected public officials — should be coerced into participating in these outrageous actions.”
The state’s Department of Justice said the cost of implementing the process would amount to nearly $45,000.
Governor Tony Evers (D) will likely veto the bill.
