ICE raids could come to Madison, attorney says -- here's how to prepare [View all]

Under former President Joe Biden, 29 Wisconsin county sheriff’s departments participated in the State Criminal Alien Assistance Program (SCAAP), a separate but currently active grant program that reimburses police agencies for providing information to the federal government on the documentation status of people they have incarcerated. Huma Ahsan, an immigration attorney and founder of Madison Immigration Law, said these programs pose a risk to the safety of our communities. “Many immigrants and even citizens of color are facing the fact that they could be detained or possibly deported. It seems that ICE is using immigration statuses, in sort of a round-them-up kind of way, without justification,” Ahsan said. In January, the Dane County Sheriff’s Office discontinued its previous participation in the SCAAP program.

Still, as Wisconsin remains a swing state and as Madison continues to consistently vote for Democrats, Ahsan believes ICE could begin targeting the city. In late May, the Trump administration included Madison and Dane County on a list of “jurisdictions that obstruct the enforcement of federal immigration laws” — a designation that could threaten federal funding — to punish communities that don’t actively support the president’s immigration crackdown. The month before, Gov. Tony Evers issued a memo to state workers on how they should or shouldn't interact with federal immigration officers. The memo included standard guidance like urging state workers not to answer questions from ICE agents without first consulting an attorney. Republican members of Wisconsin’s congressional delegation and members of the Trump administration accused Evers of obstructing federal immigration operations. Madison and Dane County were absent from a more recently published federal list of local governments considered to be obstructing ICE.

Ahsan believes that preparing for an ICE presence in Madison requires action from U.S. citizens and non-citizens. Ahsan raised concerns about documented cases of ICE agents using administrative warrants instead of judicial warrants to enter someone’s home, places of business or government buildings. “But those are not warrants that can allow someone to enter your house,” she said. Ahsan believes everyone should know their basic rights regardless of documentation status. “You have the Fifth Amendment right to remain silent. You have the Fourth Amendment right against searches or seizures of your belongings and home,” she said.


Certain counties in Wisconsin are more dangerous for immigrants than others, Ahsan said, largely because of how sheriff’s offices in those counties are cooperating with and providing assistance to federal ICE agents. “If you are an immigrant you have to be careful about going through Dodge County because they get paid in these agreements,” she said. “These counties are also getting revenue for each immigrant they detain.” Ahsan recommends that non-citizens look at the lists of all counties which participate in ICE programs, on the ICE website. For citizens who oppose the crackdown, Ahsan said, solidarity is important. “If you’re seeing ICE in the community, get out your phone and start recording,” she said. “Your employer should have a plan, how they are going to engage with ICE.” Advocacy organizations like Voces De La Frontera are running seminars to educate local residents on their rights, and the Wisconsin ACLU has posted videos providing legal information. Both have additional information on their websites. Citizens also have the power to influence state and city policy regarding how those governments interact with ICE, through voting and contacting their representatives, Ahsan said. “ICE shouldn’t be allowed to enter into any courtroom unless they have a judicial warrant signed by a federal judge,” Ahsan said. “They should not be masked and (should) be fully identifiable. They should inform local law enforcement. …We need to have strong leaders. All leaders need to be willing to face what is happening.”

https://captimes.com/news/government/ice-raids-could-come-to-madison-attorney-says-here-s-how-to-prepare/article_77a62ce3-5c1e-4c8a-abde-2056876494ed.html