Across the country, we are seeing law enforcement agencies declare that they will not cooperate with federal immigration authorities to protect our communities from dangerous criminals. Local law enforcement cooperation with ICE is instrumental. According to ICE, 70% of arrests occur after notification from law enforcement agencies when an individual is held for other crimes. Without local cooperation, ICE must locate and arrest dangerous aliens in the community. This alternative requires that additional resources be expended and puts the public in danger.

It is my position that all local law enforcement agencies should work with federal authorities to protect our communities from criminals. This week, I introduced legislation with Senator Julian Bradley to require just that. My bill will require the Sheriff to verify citizenship of every individual arrested for a felony charge in their community. If the Sheriff cannot verify citizenship, they must immediately notify ICE to make a verification. Ifthe Sheriff is notified that a federal immigration detainer has been issued for the individual in question, the Sheriff must honor that detainer and hold them for 48 hours, pending ICE action.

To emphasize, this process only applies to individuals confined in jail for a felony offense. Under current law, the Sheriff has the discretion to comply with a detainer – they are not required to do so.

Unfortunately, Governor Evers has already announced that he will veto this legislation. It is a shame that he would rather stand behind those who commit serious crimes rather than protect law abiding citizens.

You can watch the full press conference announcing the legislation below: