Wisconsin legislators recently held a hearing on an extreme anti-immigrant bill that would target immigrants and punish communities that protect everyone’s rights.

SB275/AB190 would force local police to implement President Trump’s mass detention and deportation agenda that has terrorized immigrant communities.

ACLU supporters and members have been on the front lines of fighting these racist and discriminatory policies because we know how much harm they can do.

SB275/AB190 offends our values and violates basic human rights and dignity. It would instill fear in our communities, and turn our friends, neighbors, classmates and coworkers into targets for interrogation, arrest and deportation.

It would also corrode the trust between the police and the communities they serve. When immigrants who need help or want to report a crime can’t call the police for fear they’ll be deported, that makes everyone less safe.

People sometimes ask why the American Civil Liberties Union works so hard to defend immigrants.

Critical rights under our Constitution apply to everyone in our country. Yes, we reserve some rights, like the right to vote, for citizens—but most other legal protections apply to everybody. This includes citizens, legal permanent residents, undocumented immigrants, refugees, and even people just visiting.

When the government has the power to deny legal rights and due process to one vulnerable group, everyone’s rights are at risk.

Extreme Wisconsin legislators share Trump’s animus towards immigrants, and want to bring his draconian immigration policies into our state.

Targeting people because of who they are, the color of their skin or where they come from is discrimination - plain and simple.

That’s why the ACLU of Wisconsin and our members, supporters and volunteers are committed to making sure this legislation never becomes law.

Wisconsin prides itself on being a welcoming state with a tradition of neighbors helping neighbors and strongly held values of fairness and mutual respect. SB275/AB190 runs against all that, and would force our friends and neighbors to live in the shadow of fear, discrimination and distrust.

Donald Trump’s mass deportation regime doesn’t belong in the Badger State.