Milwaukee residents can expect heightened concern about immigration enforcement after elected officials and civil rights groups gathered Thursday to condemn a recent increase in arrests by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in Wisconsin.
U.S. Rep. Gwen Moore said the latest enforcement drives under the Trump administration have not focused on violent offenders but instead swept up people without criminal records, producing costly legal fights, family separations and even deaths of U.S. citizens connected to those cases.
Who spoke and what they said
Moore joined Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson, Common Council President Jose Perez, state Sen. Tim Carpenter (D-Milwaukee), state Rep. Sylvia Ortiz-Velez (D-Milwaukee), and leaders from Voces de la Frontera at the event. They highlighted individual cases to illustrate their concerns.
Organizers pointed to the case of Yessenia Ruano, a Milwaukee public school teacher’s aide who left the U.S. for El Salvador and later faced deportation despite applying for a T-visa intended for victims of human trafficking. Ruano has no criminal record and earlier this year was denied an emergency stay by ICE; a federal judge later ruled she must be allowed to return to Milwaukee.
“That didn’t stop the separation, the anxiety, the expense, the GoFundMes, all of the trouble that we’re putting innocent people through,”
Moore used Ruano’s situation to argue that administrative decisions by ICE cause harm even when the courts eventually rule in favor of migrants. Organizers also cited the arrest earlier this year of Salah Sarsour, president of Milwaukee’s Islamic Society, who was detained in an Indiana facility until a judge ordered his release, finding the arrest amounted to First Amendment retaliation tied to his criticism of the Israeli government and advocacy for Palestinians.
Local officials and groups involved
- U.S. Rep. Gwen Moore — federal lawmaker commenting on enforcement priorities
- Mayor Cavalier Johnson — local executive joining criticism
- Common Council President Jose Perez — city legislative leader present
- Sen. Tim Carpenter and Rep. Sylvia Ortiz-Velez — state lawmakers speaking at the event
- Voces de la Frontera — immigrant rights organization represented by executive director Christine Neumann-Ortiz
Speakers said the pattern of arrests raises questions about ICE’s criteria and the agency’s use of resources across Wisconsin. They emphasized the human toll of enforcement actions: disrupted households, legal expenses, and prolonged uncertainty for families with mixed immigration status.
| Issue | Local impact |
|---|---|
| Targeting of nonviolent migrants | Family separations, legal costs, community fear |
| Use of emergency denials | Delays in relief for trafficking victims and others |
| Alleged retaliatory arrests | Concerns over First Amendment protections |
Advocates called for greater transparency about ICE’s operations in Wisconsin and urged federal officials to prioritize violent offenders rather than individuals they described as contributing members of their communities. They also encouraged residents affected by enforcement actions to seek legal help through local immigrant-rights groups and legal aid providers.
Officials at ICE did not speak at the Milwaukee event. Organizers said they will continue public pressure and pursue legal avenues for those they say were wrongly targeted.
This story will be updated as agencies respond and more information becomes available.
Brooke Steiner, Wisconsin correspondent, News Block.
