Immigration Lawsuit Filed Against Milwaukee Sheriff

A Wisconsin judge heard arguments in an immigration lawsuit filed by an immigrant rights group against Milwaukee County Sheriff David A. Clarke, Jr. Voces de la Frontera (Voices of the Border) filed the immigration lawsuit last month alleging that Sheriff Clarke had disregarded their requests for immigration data his office submitted to the U.S. Office of Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Attorneys for Voces stated that the Sheriff’s actions could lead to unfair and improper deportation of hundreds of immigrants living in the Milwaukee area.

Immigration Lawsuit and Secure Communities

The immigration lawsuit also alleges that the Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Office has been working with ICE in its Secure Communities program. The program calls for local law enforcement officials to hold prisoners suspected of immigration violations an additional 48 hours, even if they qualify for release from jail. Milwaukee County Board members voted in 2012 to stop participating in the program, but the immigration lawsuit alleges that the Sheriff’s Office chose to ignore the Board’s request.

Immigration Lawsuit and Records Requests

As part of the Secure Communities program, the Sheriff’s Office would file a form with ICE detailing the suspect’s immigration status. Christine Neumann-Ortiz, the director of Voces de la Frontera, testified in the immigration lawsuit that the group filed information requests to the Sheriff’s Office for these forms on March 11. The Sheriff’s Office informed her that the request would take less than a day and would cost $300 in fees. When the Sheriff’s Office failed to respond to repeated requests, the group filed its immigration lawsuit on April 1.

Immigration Lawsuit and Redacted Records

Judge David Borowski ordered the Sheriff’s Office to produce the records the next day. The current immigration lawsuit alleges that the office delivered only a dozen forms, with much of the information redacted. The office stated that the information was blacked out to prevent potential identity theft. The new hearing in the immigration lawsuit will consider the Voces request for all of the requested records in an unredacted format.

Dispute over Records Spurs Immigration Lawsuit

Each side of the immigration lawsuit maintains differing opinions on the matter of “open” immigration records. Peter Earle, an attorney for Voces, stated that the records should be open. He also maintained that the Sheriff’s Office interest in protecting personal information does not surpass the public’s need to ensure that the office is following the new rules regarding immigration enforcement. Captain Catherine Trimboli of the Sheriff’s Office stated that the information redacted from the records was done at ICE’s request and that she was unaware of any potential misuses of the redacted data.

Source: Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel

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To find out how we can answer your questions about your immigration lawsuit, contact one of our attorneys today. Our intake team will take down the details of your case, connect you to an attorney who understands immigration lawsuits, and explain how one can affect your immigration status. You can also fill out the “Free Case Evaluation” form at the top of this page.