Manitowoc County ICE arrests, pastor talks ministry's connections

Manitowoc County ICE arrests

The FBI and ICE are turning their attention to Wisconsin after large immigration raids across the country, arresting 21 people in Manitowoc County.

MANITOWOC COUNTY, Wis. - U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Federal Bureau of Investigation are turning their attention to Wisconsin after large immigration raids across the country.

Manitowoc County ICE arrests

Local perspective:

The FBI said federal agents arrested 21 people, who were in the country illegally, in Manitowoc County. Nine of those people are suspected of sexual assault and/or trafficking of girls, according to federal authorities.

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In a social media post on Friday, the FBI wrote:

"Today, FBI Milwaukee and Immigration And Customs Enforcement (ICE) led a joint operation with the assistance of the U.S. Marshals, DEA, CBP, IRS-CI in arresting 21 subjects in Manitowoc County. All the subjects are in the country illegally. Nine of the subjects were targeted for their suspected involvement in the sexual assault and/or trafficking of minor American girls. FBI Milwaukee and our law enforcement partners are dedicated and focused on protecting and safeguarding our Wisconsin communities every day."

FBI, ICE operation in Manitowoc County (Credit: FBI Milwaukee)

FOX6 News asked the FBI and ICE for an interview and for more information on Friday. The FBI said no.

What they're saying:

Immigration advocates said it's the largest raid they know about in Wisconsin.

"We don't want violent criminals running around, and if they're trafficking anybody, let alone minors, we don't want those people on the streets either," said Rev. Matthew Sauer with Manitowoc Cooperative Ministry. "At the same time, we do believe in due process."

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Sauer said his ministries have connections to some of the people who were arrested. He said he thinks some of the 21 people were arrested at a home, and others were arrested in a Walmart parking lot.

"It's their carpool meet-up to go out to work on the dairy farms," he said. "There was a large net cast there that arrested many folks."

Rev. Matthew Sauer 

If nine of the people arrested are suspected of sexual assault and/or trafficking, Sauer wants to know what it means for the remaining 12 people. 

"We're interested in transparent due process and justice," he said. "We don't want violent criminals on the streets either, but even they deserve justice."

The pastor said families are worried and looking for answers.

"There's this large group of folks that were just going to work and ready to come home to their family at the end of the day, that go to soccer games, to go whatever it is, that no one knows where they're at right now," he said. "That's the difficulty."

ICE has an online detainee locator system.