MILWAUKEE – The ACLU of Wisconsin today released a report investigating immigration enforcement in Wisconsin, showing just how closely local law enforcement and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) are working – and how law enforcement agencies are feeding the deportation machine to make money.
The Jail to Deportation Pipeline in Wisconsin builds on findings gleaned from the ACLU’s 2022 report, documenting a sharp increase in the number of partnerships forged between county sheriff’s departments and ICE, detailing how the cooperation of local law enforcement is incentivized and rewarded through the provision of federal grant funding.
The report's information was based on open records requests the ACLU of Wisconsin sent to all 72 county sheriffs’ offices throughout the state.
“Immigrants have been an important part of the fabric of Wisconsin for many years. They are a part of our families. They are our coworkers, friends, and neighbors, and the public should know what their local law enforcement agencies are doing. These cozy relationships between ICE and many sheriffs are disrupting our communities and funneling immigrant community members into the federal deportation machine,” said Tim Muth, senior staff attorney with the ACLU of Wisconsin.
Here are some highlights from the report:
Many more sheriffs have signed 287(g) agreements.
The 287(g) program, which delegates certain immigration enforcement responsibilities to state and local law enforcement, continues to be a contentious tool for ICE. Our 2022 report noted that eight Wisconsin sheriffs had signed formal 287(g) agreements. As of June 2025, ICE reported that the number of Wisconsin law enforcement agencies with active 287(g) agreements increased to 13, with all of the growth occurring this year, during the second Trump administration.
Sheriffs continue to send data to ICE in return for SCAAP funds.
The State Criminal Alien Assistance Program (SCAAP) continues to provide a significant financial incentive for Wisconsin law enforcement agencies to share information with ICE. This federal grant program partially reimburses state and local governments for the costs of incarcerating certain non-citizens. In exchange for these funds, agencies submit data on individuals they have incarcerated who are or are believed to be undocumented to ICE. This data, which concerns where undocumented persons live, and their contacts with the criminal justice system, however trivial, helps fuel mass deportation.
From 2021 to 2024, 29 Wisconsin counties and the Wisconsin Department of Corrections received substantial SCAAP funding, totaling $7,258,617 from October 2020 through September 2024.
ICE still sends hundreds of detainers to Wisconsin jails.
Immigration detainers are ICE requests for local jails to hold individuals for up to 48 hours beyond their scheduled release. These detainers are often not accompanied by a warrant signed by a neutral judicial official and lack legal authority under Wisconsin law. Still, most sheriffs across the state continue to honor them.
From October 2021 through June 2025, ICE sent more than 3,300 detainers to facilities in Wisconsin. This data reflects a continuing pattern of ICE relying on local jails to facilitate the transfer of individuals into federal immigration custody.
County Sheriffs are receiving money for detaining, jailing and transporting immigrants.
Through open records requests, the ACLU uncovered that multiple county sheriff departments have been paid thousands of dollars by ICE to help detain, jail, and transport immigrants. Our press release detailing that information is available here.
