Perhaps inspired by Donald Trump’s rising poll numbers among Republican voters after making bigoted remarks about immigrants, Wisconsin Republicans are targeting the state’s immigrant population.
The Republican bill that is beginning to wind its way through the Legislature would eradicate local ordinances that prohibit law enforcement from asking an individual about their immigration status. The Milwaukee Police Department follows the policy of barring officers from asking individuals about their immigration status for very good reasons. In general, for example, this policy helps public safety, because undocumented residents who are victims of a crime or have witnessed a crime are more likely to come forward with information if they know that they can’t be detained or deported simply for having contact with the police.
But true to form Republicans aren’t listening to reason from the professionals involved, although lawmakers did cancel a Tuesday hearing on it, apparently because of pushback from advocates and allies. But the bill isn’t dead and could come up again at any time.
In addition, it seems that the Wisconsin Republican Party, which used to be all about local control, once in power at the state level has no problem running roughshod over local policies that it deems unacceptable. It’s unfortunate that our state’s immigrant population has to suffer the consequences of Trump’s and state Republicans’ demonization of immigrants. Wisconsin’s immigrants don’t deserve this hateful treatment but Republicans seem intent on dishing it out anyway.
