Milwaukee County Courthouse ICE arrests; meeting held regarding protocols
Milwaukee County Courthouse ICE arrests meeting
What are federal officers allowed to do at local courthouses? That's the question after the recent U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrests at the Milwaukee County Courthouse Complex.
MILWAUKEE - What are federal officers allowed to do at local courthouses? That's the question after the recent U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrests at the Milwaukee County Courthouse Complex.
People who support the ICE arrests say immigration enforcement at courthouses is nothing new. But critics say the arrests could discourage witnesses and crime victims from coming forward.
Courthouse conversation
What we know:
During a committee meeting on Tuesday, April 15, the Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors Committee on Judiciary, Law Enforcement, and General Services passed a resolution 4-0 regarding protocols at the courthouse – specifically ICE. The resolution is not binding. It opposes ICE agents at the courthouse and starts the conversation about what protocol might look like moving forward.
"Everyone, regardless of immigration status, deserves due process. It calls for the coordination of a comprehensive strategy between the county executive, the chief judge, the sheriff's office and legal counsel," Milwaukee County Supervisor Marcelia Nicholson said. "It should be a place where people come to learn about their rights, access justice and feel safe doing so."
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Supervisor Patti Logsdon abstained from voting, citing legal uncertainty.
"It’s a reflection of a legal uncertainty surrounding the passing and implications of this resolution," Logsdon said.
ICE arrests
The backstory:
The resolution comes after ICE arrested two men in March and early April in the hallways of the Milwaukee County Courthouse.
ICE said one of the men is a known gang member, and the other had open gun and drug cases in the county.
An ICE spokesperson said agents were following a directive that allows them to take "enforcement actions" in or near courthouses.
Milwaukee County Courthouse ICE arrests; 2 men arrested identified
ICE released the names of the two men recently arrested at the Milwaukee County Courthouse Complex on Tuesday.
What's next?
Dig deeper:
The ACLU of Wisconsin called on judges to use state law to keep ICE agents out of courthouses.
But Milwaukee County Chief Judge Carl Ashley said he's looking for clarification on what the law allows. He is working on a proposal that would clarify policies, specifically in the courtroom.
He hopes to have it ready in the next two weeks.
"The reality is people do get arrested in the public area of the courthouse and have been," Ashley said.
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What's next:
The next step is for the resolution to go in front of the full Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors, scheduled to meet on Thursday, April 24.
The Source: FOX6 News attended the Milwaukee County committee meeting and used prior coverage.