Seven people were arrested by ICE at a single address in Madison Oct. 2, raising concerns from individuals in the community and immigration advocacy organizations, according to a report from The Wisconsin Examiner.
The Madison Police Department was not made aware of the arrests before their occurrence, according to The Cap Times. The immigrant advocacy organization Voces De La Frontera, told The Wisconsin Examiner that there were multiple calls to their hotline the morning of the arrests.
The majority of the people who were detained had no criminal history or allegations against them, statewide organizing director of Voces De La Frontera Luis Velasquez said. Further, he said that a vast amount of the people who live in that neighborhood are Hispanic, Latino or a person of color.
“This has created a lot of panic in the community, even though it was just one specific address,” Velasquez said. “The community is on edge, and the hotline has been very busy with folks who are afraid or looking for resources.”
The UWPD, in an emailed statement, said that they are committed to the safety and security of the community and provide exceptional service to its members, regardless of immigration status. They will not participate in immigration enforcement actions conducted by ICE, according to the statement.
The MPD declined to interview, but referenced their policies regarding immigration enforcement, which states that the MPD will only cooperate with a lawful request of ICE if the individual targeted is involved in certain criminal activities.
Community organizations responded to the arrests in Madison, including Voces De La Frontera, which answered calls the morning of the arrests.
The main initiative of Voces De La Frontera right now is community defense, which includes their immigration rapid response networks and legal support through their partner Community Immigration Law Center, Velasquez said.
The rapid response networks use a hotline powered by over 100 volunteer operators to connect with families going through ICE detention and make sure that community members know their rights, Velasquez said. Part of the purpose of the hotline is to be an educational tool to contain rumors that may bring harm to communities, Velasquez said.
Voces De La Frontera also participates in civic engagement by monitoring local law enforcement for potential threats, including the 287(g) program.
Velasquez said that arrests of this kind are not new, but there are other immigrant stories to focus on as well, emphasizing past examples of resistance in Wisconsin like the ‘Day Without Latinos’ protests in 2017 and 2018.
“I think whenever we talk about immigrants and what they are going through right now, it should be balanced with talking about the resilience, the strength, the courage and the economic contributions of immigrants,” Velasquez said. “This situation is not new in terms of the enforcement, but the level of cruelty and inhumanity and the amount of fear it has unleashed in the community cannot be ignored.”
Other towns in Wisconsin have seen the presence of ICE recently, with the town of Palmyra proposing a partnership between its police force and ICE, according to The Wisconsin Examiner.
The partnership would have the Palmyra Police Department focus on criminals, not on people who may simply be immigrants without legal status, according to The Wisconsin Examiner. The partnership would list the town of Palmyra as the only agency in Wisconsin participating in 287(g), which is a program allowing local law enforcement to partake in certain aspects of U.S. Immigration enforcement, according to The Wisconsin Examiner.
“We believe the program is a danger to the community,” Velasquez said. “Usually 287(g) programs are signed by the Sheriff of the county.”
