Wisconsin's GOP Nominee Tiffany Says He Will Require Sheriffs to Honor ICE Detainers
In a debate with Democrat David Crowley, Tom Tiffany said local police must coordinate with federal agents. Crowley opposes a blanket ban on cooperation but wants limits on ICE, including no masks.
Republican Tom Tiffany says that if he is elected Wisconsin's governor, local sheriffs will have no choice about working with federal immigration agents. He made the pledge Wednesday in a general election debate with Democrat David Crowley, hosted by WISN-TV.
What Tiffany said. "I will make sure that local, county and state law enforcement coordinate with federal law enforcement," he said. Asked directly whether he would make that cooperation a legal requirement, he answered: "Yes, I believe we should. They should honor detainers." His argument is that coordination lets authorities remove illegal immigrants accused of crimes while they are still in county jails.
What Crowley said. Crowley, the Milwaukee County executive, said he would not support a blanket ban on cooperation and agreed that immigrants convicted of crimes should be deported. He also called for limits on ICE: no contracts between local law enforcement and ICE, judicial warrants before agents enter jails and prisons, and no masks for agents. "We need to make sure that we're protecting people's civil liberties," he said.
The numbers. Fox says twenty county law enforcement agencies in Wisconsin take part in ICE's 287(g) program, which lets designated local officers carry out certain immigration enforcement functions. The latest federal data it cites show ICE arrests in the state at new highs this summer, with more than 2,100 people detained between January 2025 and the latest reporting period. Cooperation with ICE is also an issue in sheriff races in Sauk and Winnebago counties.
Related. We covered a House Judiciary Committee finding that a Virginia sanctuary county ignored 1,670 detainer requests over two years, in "House Judiciary Report: Fairfax County Sheriff's Office Ignored at Least 1,670 ICE Detainers in Two-Plus Years."
What the report does not say. It gives no poll on where Wisconsin voters stand, and it does not describe how a state mandate on sheriffs would be enforced.