Milwaukee County officials consider ordinance to limit ICE from operating in county parks

Milwaukee County officials are considering creating an ordinance that could prohibit federal immigration enforcement agents from staging in county parks without prior authorization.

The proposal, which was passed by the county’s Committee on Parks and Culture Thursday,  comes as some are worried about an escalating presence of Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in Wisconsin cities like Milwaukee.

The ordinance does not mention ICE specifically. Instead, it states that law enforcement agencies must have prior authorization to use parks or parkways as staging areas. The ordinance would apply to any local, state, tribal or federal government agency.

But much of the committee’s discussion was related to ICE agents and concerns about their recent actions in places like Minneapolis-St. Paul.

Some county supervisors in support of the measure said they’re aware the ordinance may not prevent ICE agents from operating in or using county parks. However, they said having it on the books could be used in a potential lawsuit against the agency. 

Milwaukee County Supervisor Juan Miguel Martinez said the ordinance would give the county the “grounds to sue later on.”

Milwaukee County oversees more than 150 parks and parkways.

Milwaukee County Supervisor Anne O’Connor said the resolution would not limit local police departments from going into those areas for routine patrolling or for emergency responses. 

The fine for violating the ordinance would be $100.

Milwaukee County Supervisor Steve Taylor was the only “no” vote on the ordinance Thursday. He raised questions about how the measure would be enforced.

“Let’s just say they ignore it … what is the ramifications?” Taylor said during the meeting.

Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy Brian Barkow said the office does not generally enforce permitting issues. 

“As it’s written right now, I don’t think a county ordinance is going to stop any agency from staging in our parks, especially if the penalty is a $100 ticket,” Milwaukee County Supervisor Shawn Rolland said in an interview with WPR.

The Committee on Judiciary, Law Enforcement and General Services will discuss the ordinance during an upcoming meeting. Discussion could include an amendment for increasing the fine amount.

Rolland said he’d like to see that happen.

“If the fine is increased, that could make it worthwhile for our attorneys to file suits, if that’s necessary in the future,” Rolland said.

The Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors could vote on the measure sometime next month. 

The discussion on the county park ordinance occurred on the same day that the Milwaukee Common Council announced the launch of a new website to share resources for people worried about the possible escalation of federal immigration actions in the city. The website has links to a fact sheet from the American Civil Liberties Union and legal support options. 

“Residents of Milwaukee, especially those who are not citizens, are understandably feeling a sense of fear, anxiety, and uncertainty in light of the inhumane actions that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has displayed in communities across the country,” a joint statement the council said. 

In a Jan. 23 interview on PBS Wisconsin’s “Here & Now,” Darryl Morin, president of Forward Latino, said there has been a “growing consensus” in Wisconsin that there could soon be a “large scale enforcement action” in the state.

There are around 3,000  immigration agents in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area, according to NPR. Morin said some of those agents have already been present across the border in western Wisconsin. 

“I think it’s the firm belief of many that it’s just a matter of time before they come all the way down to southeastern Wisconsin,” Morin said.  

Morin said there’s already a “tremendous concern” among the state’s immigrant population and other Wisconsinites that what’s happening in Minneapolis could soon happen in Wisconsin.

“It’s time for thoughtful preparation,” he said. “It’s time for our governments and law enforcement agencies to prepare, and it’s time for people who may be at risk to prepare to put things in place.”