Waukesha County Sheriff's Office ICE Partnership 287(g) Expired June 30, Governor Tony Evers Hasn't Acted To Ban Such Agreement Since Being Elected

The Waukesha County Sheriff's Office 287(g) ICE partnership agreement expired on June 30 and Governor Evers hasn't acted to ban such agreement, since taking office.

By H. Nelson Goodson

Hispanic News Network U.S.A.

July 8, 2019

Waukesha, WI -  Governor Tony Evers (D) is expected to attend the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) National Convention and Expo in Milwaukee this week (July 10-13), but Evers has not released any official information, if he will ban the Waukesha County Sheriff's Office (WCSO) from renewing 287(g) and any other state, county and local law enforcement agency from entering into agreement with the U.S. Immigration Customs and Enforcement (ICE) under the discriminatory and profiling 287(g) program, according to lawsuits filed in federal court against Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio in Arizona. Arpaio was ousted from office, then convicted in federal court and later pardoned by Trump.

Hispanic News Network U.S.A. (HNNUSA) contacted the Governor's Office on Monday, but failed to get a response due to their slow protocol for media questions that have to be submitted via e-mail.

HNNUSA also contacted the Waukesha County Sheriff's Office to confirm, if Sheriff Eric J. Severson will renew the 287(g) agreement, but was not successful in getting a response. 

The ICE 287(g) agreement with the WCSO has not been renewed, according to the ICE website.

Bernie Gonzalez, a Civil Rights and Immigrant Rights advocate from Waukesha says, that Governor Evers should kill the 287(g) agreement with the WCSO. Gonzalez also released information to HNNUSA that the ACLU requested an open records request concerning the 287(g) agreement that creates a steering committee involving community members in Waukesha. Apparently, the WCSO posted a steering committee meeting on its website, they "...quietly posted a meeting notice on the Waukesha County website and then held a meeting on September 24 at which no one from the public showed up," according to Tim Muth from the ACLU. The 287(g) steering committee is being labeled as an Illegal Immigrant Steering Committee by the WCSO, according to the ACLU, in an e-mail sent to Gonzalez.

HNNUSA has published several articles, since Evers was elected to hold the governor accountable to the Latino electors in Wisconsin, especially in the Milwaukee area who were instrumental in electing him, which HNNUSA is spearheading for Evers to ban the 287(g) program in Wisconsin. Voces de la Frontera, Citizen Action of Wisconsin and other immigrant rights organizations in the state have been quiet and have not publicly advocated for Evers to kill the 287(g) program today. Two Wisconsin State Assembly Representatives JoCasta Zamarripa (D-Milw.) and Marisabel Cabrera (D-Milw.) have yet to come out public against the 287(g) and directing Governor Evers to ban the WCSO 287(g) agreement with ICE.

Editor's note: Ban 287(g) in Wisconsin and call Governor Tony Evers (D) Office at 608-266-1212 and tell them or leave a message not to approve the expired 287(g) ICE agreement with the Waukesha County Sheriff's Department.

(For further review of the WCSO ICE 287(g) application see attached images of ICE application by the WCSO)