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Milwaukee leaders call for ICE contingency plans
Milwaukee city leaders say now is the time to prepare for the possibility of increased federal immigration enforcement locally, following high-profile activity in Minneapolis that has drawn national attention.
MILWAUKEE - Milwaukee city leaders say now is the time to prepare for the possibility of increased federal immigration enforcement locally, following high-profile activity in Minneapolis that has drawn national attention.
What we know:
Several Common Council members are calling for contingency plans and want briefings from multiple city agencies, including the Milwaukee Police Department, the mayor’s office and Milwaukee Public Schools. They say preparation now could help prevent confusion or safety concerns later if enforcement activity increases.
Over the weekend, Ald. Milele Coggs released a communication file intended to spark discussion among city leaders. The document calls on the city to act proactively and outline a public safety plan related to possible federal immigration enforcement.
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The office of Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson told FOX6 it has already held several meetings with elected officials, law enforcement and community groups. Officials said there is no specific information indicating imminent federal enforcement activity in Milwaukee, but an internal rapid response team is in place if needed.
What they're saying:
Ald. Larresa Taylor, who co-authored the communication file, said proactive planning is critical.
"It’s important to be proactive, to avoid things happening – not to be reactive. When things are reactive, emotions are flying high and the reactions can end up in chaos and casualties. So, proactiveness can prevent all of that," she said. "One of my most important things, I think, that we owe our constituents is communication. So, when things like this are coming about, we don’t want to wait until after it happens and then say, oh well, we could have done this. We want to be proactive and say this is what we can do now to protect ourselves."
Dig deeper:
MPD provided the following statement:
"The Milwaukee Police Department's policy related to immigration was created in response to community feedback. A summary of our policy is attached. This policy explicitly states that enforcement of the country’s immigration laws is the responsibility of the federal government and not MPD.
Regardless of the level of ICE's presence in our city, MPD's policy remains our guiding principle. We are in constant communication with city, county and state officials and will share information to the best of our ability with a commitment to transparent communications with the public.
To be clear, ICE is a federal law enforcement agency with the authority to enforce civil and criminal immigration laws. Local municipalities like Milwaukee do not have jurisdiction over ICE. Our commitment to support public safety and protect the individual residents of the City of Milwaukee remains as strong as ever."
Milwaukee Public Schools leaders already have a Safe Haven resolution in place. The policy restricts federal agents’ access to school buildings and provides resources for students whose families are in the country illegally.
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Coggs said council members plan to continue the discussion at the city’s next Public Safety and Health Committee meeting in the coming weeks.
The Source: The information in this post was collected and produced by FOX6 News.