Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers said he is questioning whether a proposal from his own lieutenant governor to ban federal immigration enforcement actions around courthouses, schools, day cares and other locations can, or should, be done.
Evers raised the concern after Sara Rodriguez, his Democratic lieutenant governor and a candidate to succeed him this year, announced Monday that Wisconsin should restrict civil immigration enforcement actions near courthouses, hospitals and health clinics, licensed child care centers and day cares, schools and institutions of higher learning, domestic violence shelters and places of worship. Rodriguez said there would be exceptions if there is a judicial warrant or an immediate threat to public safety.
Speaking at a Monday news briefing when asked about Rodriguez’s proposal, Evers said, “I’m not sure we have the ability to do that.” He also said he was concerned about how such a move would be received by President Donald Trump’s administration, telling reporters, “We can take a look at that, but I think banning things absolutely will ramp up the actions of our folks in Washington, D.C.” Evers added that, in his view, “They don’t tend to approach those things appropriately.”
Rodriguez responded Tuesday, saying she respected Evers’ position but did not back down. In remarks and a statement, she argued that Wisconsin should join other states seeking to rein in federal officers, saying Democrats have “dialed back actions in hopes President Trump doesn’t escalate, and that’s not what happens. He always escalates.”
Rodriguez’s plan came after an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer fatally shot Renee Good in neighboring Minnesota last week, a killing that prompted protests across the country, including in Wisconsin, in opposition to Trump’s deportation operations. Minnesota, joined by Minneapolis and St. Paul, sued the Trump administration Monday seeking a temporary restraining order to halt the enforcement action or limit the operation, according to the report.
The AP reported that Rodriguez’s proposal to limit ICE actions in Wisconsin is largely based on proposals being considered in other Democratic-controlled states, including California, New York, Illinois and New Jersey. Even if introduced in Wisconsin, the report said, such proposals would face obstacles in the Republican-controlled Legislature.
Rodriguez also called for ICE agents operating in Wisconsin to be unmasked, clearly identified and wearing a body camera. She said, “No one should be afraid to drop off their kids at school, seek medical care, go to court, or attend worship because enforcement actions are happening without clear rules or accountability,”
When asked whether ICE agents are welcome in Wisconsin, Evers said, “I think we can handle ourselves, frankly. I don’t see the need for the federal government to be coming into our state and making decisions that we can make in the state.”