Wisconsin sheriffs are being called on to assist ICE. How they’re responding varies widely.

From JSOnline:

Eva Wen, Gina Castro, Bridget Fogarty (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel) | Janani Janarthanan (Northwestern University Medill School of Journalism)

In Jackson County, a scenic patch of Wisconsin known for its cranberry farms and proximity to the Black River State Forest, immigration enforcement is barely a blip on Sheriff Duane Waldera’s radar.

“That's not our role on this issue,” Waldera said. “My stance is that immigration is a federal issue, and the federal government would have to address those issues.”

Waldera is describing a well-understood precedent: The federal government can ask local law enforcement for help on immigration, but it's up to them to decide how much to cooperate. 

That long-standing separation of duties is now being challenged and reshaped. With the Trump administration ramping up U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations and Republican state lawmakers pushing for more collaboration, sheriffs could play a key role in how immigration is enforced on the local level.

Read and see much more: https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/special-reports/2025/03/13/wisconsin-sheriffs-share-views-on-immigration-ice-cooperation/81939624007/