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ICE Arrests in Milwaukee Spark Backlash From Advocacy Group
County leaders say ICE used city and county property without notice as the agency reported 39 arrests across Wisconsin over the weekend.
Federal agents arrested 39 people across Wisconsin over the weekend during what the Department of Homeland Security described as "targeted operations," marking one of the largest enforcement sweeps in the state since January 2025.
Agents reportedly used a Milwaukee Police District parking lot on Monday to stage operations, testing city and county ordinances prohibiting Immigration and Customs Enforcement from using public property for enforcement activities.
Witnesses reported masked agents smashing car windows and failing to identify themselves during arrests; Galo Suarez, a Nicaraguan asylum seeker detained on Sunday, said "They had guns pointed at us, they didn't ask us for our names."
Alderwoman Marina Dimitrijevic and County Executive David Crowley are demanding accountability, vowing "There will be consequences for not following the rules," though a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson refused to comply with Milwaukee's face mask ban ordinance.
While the Department of Homeland Security claimed "many" of those arrested had criminal histories, Voces de la Frontera Executive Director Christine Neumann-Ortiz countered that the "overwhelming majority" have no criminal records, highlighting a fundamental dispute over detainee backgrounds.