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Ask your County Board Members How They Will Protect Our Communities

Do you know how your County Board representative feels about ICE in our community? If not, here is a sample message you can send them. Edit this as needed for your concern or situation.

Dear ____,

As county board member, what is your opinion and what action will you take when ICE or CBP agents send abducted American citizens and documented immigrants to our jail in Brown Country as they have done in other communities across the country?

Thank you for your time. I look forward to your response.

Your name and address (so they know you are in their district)

 ***********

Information about Brown County’s agreement with ICE:

Brown County Sheriff’s Office partners with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) through a 287(g) agreement. This partnership allows trained jail staff to identify and process inmates for immigration violations, including holding inmates on ICE detainers at the county jail.

Key details regarding this cooperation:

  • 287(g) Agreement: Brown County is one of several Wisconsin counties that use the 287(g) program (specifically the Warrant Service Officer model) to authorize local officers to serve administrative warrants on inmates, according to the Green Bay Press-Gazette.
  • Jail Detention: The Brown County Jail has maintained a contract since 2001 to house federal inmates, which now includes those in the custody of ICE, notes a Facebook post from WLUK.
  • Role: The partnership focuses on jail-based processing and holding rather than proactive street-level enforcement by deputies.
  • Purpose: The Sheriff’s office maintains that these partnerships are aimed at public safety and managing the county jail, as noted by WLUK

 

What County Board members can do:

County board members have several tools to limit or influence Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activities within their jurisdiction, primarily by managing local law enforcement, controlling county resources, and setting policies for public facilities. While they cannot override federal immigration law, they can opt out of voluntary cooperation programs and create “ICE-free” zones to protect residents.

Here is what county board members can do, according to recent developments:

  1. End Voluntary Cooperation and Agreements
  • Terminate 287(g) Agreements: Board members can vote to end agreements between the county sheriff and ICE, which allow local law enforcement officers to perform immigration officer functions.
  • Reject Detainer Requests: The board can pass policies instructing the county jail not to honor ICE “detainers”—requests to hold individuals beyond their release date without a valid judicial warrant.
  • Stop Jail Contracts: Boards can terminate contracts with ICE that allow the use of local jails for federal immigration detention.
  1. Establish “ICE-Free” Zones and Policies
  • Restrict Access to Property: Pass ordinances or resolutions banning federal immigration agents from using county-owned or -controlled property—such as government buildings, libraries, and parks—for enforcement actions.
  • Establish Protective Policies: Adopt resolutions that prevent all county employees (not just police) from assisting in civil immigration enforcement, except when required by a judicial warrant.
  • Protect Public Spaces: Implement policies to prevent ICE from conducting raids at local courthouses.
  1. Set Law Enforcement Directives
  • Limit Information Sharing: Restrict the sharing of data about residents from local databases with ICE.
  • Prohibit Profiling: Mandate that local police do not stop, question, or arrest individuals solely based on suspected immigration status.
  • Require Warrant for Access: Instruct the sheriff’s department to require a warrant signed by a judge (not just an administrative warrant from ICE) for access to secure areas of local jails.
  1. Support the Community
  • Fund Legal Aid: Allocate funding to support community defense programs, including legal referrals, legal defense for residents facing deportation, and educational workshops on “Know Your Rights”.
  • Establish Rapid Response: Create and fund local hotlines to track and document ICE activity, allowing residents to notify advocates when ICE is in the community.
  1. Advocacy and Oversight
  • Hold Public Hearings: Bring transparency to 287(g) agreements and their cost to the county by holding public hearings and demanding reports from the sheriff.
  • Advocate for State Action: Lobby state lawmakers to pass legislation banning all law enforcement in the state from cooperating with civil immigration enforcement.