H -°, L 6° | Tomorrow: 
H 18°, L 6°Dane County has an immigration problem. No, it’s not that our mostly vanilla slice of Wisconsin is being taken over by our Spanish-speaking brothers and sisters to the south. Rather, our immigration problem is embodied by a persecutory law enforcement establishment that is successfully developing a culture of fear and distrust among the most vulnerable members of our community.
It is not easy to be an immigrant in this country, and, as the years go by, our inept political leadership has proven itself utterly unable to address draconian immigration laws that have transformed the land of opportunity into a foreboding land of pitfalls and legal trip-wires. Several years ago, the state of Wisconsin made it illegal for undocumented residents to obtain driver’s licenses. Aside from codifying the xenophobic passion for marginalization that has come to characterize our nation’s right wing, the law has made our roads less safe and made the task of identifying recently arrived persons exponentially more difficult. The latter point has actually been a fortuitous development for Dane County Sheriff David Mahoney, who has a penchant for terrorizing the community’s immigrant population.
Mahoney, a Democrat, has made a habit of reporting the undocumented individuals his office picks up to the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency, supposedly in an effort to identify them — even though various other means exist. Unlike his Republican predecessor who abstained from this gratuitous punishment for minor offenders, Mahoney offers these people to the feds on a completely voluntary basis. Well over 100 immigrants have been held and deported from the area over the past two years. And it isn’t just superficial criminals that are pinched.
In a well-publicized case from earlier this year, a young woman and her mother were deported after a tip from the Sheriff’s office. The woman — a mother originally from Honduras — had gone to the Dane County Courthouse attempting to change the surname of her and her children. She sought to do so in order to protect her family from an abusive and violent husband from whom she had recently separated. Noticing she had an outstanding immigration warrant from over a decade earlier, the bailiff notified ICE, after which she was quickly arrested and interrogated while agents raided her home, arrested her mother and scoured the residence for information that might lead them to other undocumented individuals in the neighborhood.
Call me a softie, but illegal or not, this seems like a rotten way to treat people that haven’t committed a crime and were, all things considered, honest working people just trying to get by and raise a family in the land of the free.
Now, before the blood-thirsty xenophobes blow their stacks in response to my sympathy for illegal aliens, consider the ramifications for this kind of policy. By making it clear that local law enforcement is out to get you if you are in this country illegally — whether you just run a red light or stupidly walk down the street with an open beer, the cops can pick you up and will likely notify the feds if you can’t prove your citizenship — we are nurturing a stultifying culture of fear in our immigrant communities. That culture, not unlike the policy that keeps illegals out of driver’s education classes, is making our community less safe.
For instance, imagine a mother in an abusive relationship in a predominantly Latino part of town. She may desperately seek protection and justice from law enforcement and the courts, but could very well be even more fearful of losing her family’s chief breadwinner. Hesitant to call the police and risk the deportation of an abusive spouse or boyfriend, or even the loss of an undocumented friend or family member, she continues to be abused, robbed of the recourse to which she should be entitled. Indeed, the immigrant community is forced to fear a police presence in the neighborhood. Such trepidation clearly diminishes safety and quality of life.
We must ask ourselves: Is this the kind of community we want to live in? Such an unenlightened policy by the Sheriff’s Department facilitates a certain degree of lawlessness in communities, the consequences of which can be felt throughout the city as certain areas veil real criminals by reducing law enforcement accessibility.
In recent months, it has become increasingly clear that Dave Mahoney has his eye set on higher office, possibly vying for a job with the federal government (judging by his work with Obama administration officials earlier this year). Maybe he just wants to strengthen his electoral standing with conservative constituents that adore an “alien hunter.” In any case, it’s time we let Sheriff Mahoney know we want immigrants to feel safe and welcome in our town and that he must immediately stop reporting innocuous undocumented residents.
Sam Stevenson ([email protected]) is a graduate student in public health.
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Why should we make it even more attractive for these line-jumping criminals to come into Wisconsin? It is difficult to legally immigrate to the USA, but that doesn’t mean that the crimnals who break the law should be coddled.
I say we should look to Mexico for guidance on how to treat those who enter the USA illegally.
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While I do admire the ambition of SOME of these families coming to America to make a better life for themselves and those around them, the fact remains that they are not immigrants in any sense of the word. They are trespassing by being undocumented and do not have a place in this nation until they gain legal status as immigrants. I agree with 9:46, we should be looking to other nations and their policies of those who enter a nation illegally.
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Sam, we have too many people in this country as it is! The population of the US went from 250 million in 1990 to 300 million in 2005. That’s 50 million in just 15 years! Dude, why should we care? We’re in the middle of one of the worst recessions we’ve ever had. We just got rid of one of the worst presidents we’ve ever had, only to replace him with one of the most overrated, shallow, pretentious, ready-for-my-closeup jerk-offs we’ve ever had! Does this sound like a country worth living in? Do these immigrants, legal or otherwise, honestly want to call themselves Americans someday?
Forget about diversity. The US should put up a “Closed For Repairs” sign at the border and just worry about fixing everything that’s wrong with this country. God only knows we don’t worry about ourselves enough.
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Hard to pick a side on this issue, but I do think the current reign-of-terror policy is not the solution. No easy answers.
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The US is being invaded by millions of foreign nationals, this is an act of war. Mexico is a bigger threat than Iraq or Afghanistan ever was. Illegal immigration costs the US more than 350 BILLION annually. More than 50,000 Americans have been killed and murdered by illegal aliens since 9/11/01. The amount of crime directly due to illegal immigration is staggering. Rape, robbery, child molestation, and drug dealings is off the charts. More than half of all gang members are illegal aliens. Anyone hiring an illegal alien is a criminal and traitor. We have more than 15 million Americans unemployed and unable to find work, yet our government continues to import 1.5 million foreign workers annually. More than 35 million Americans go hungry everyday. If amnesty is forced on the American people during the worst recession since the great depression, you’ll be seeing millions more invading our nation. The US is the melting pot of the world with the most liberal immigration policy in history. E pluribus unum , from many one. Most immigrants want to become Americans and assimilate. These criminals have no such desire. They refuse to assimilate, remain loyal to their country of origin, refuse to learn and speak english, send billions out of our economy in remittances, and wave foreign flags demanding rights they are not entitled to. Our country is bankrupt, BROKE! We can’t continue to turn a blind eye to illegal immigration. Unless we secure our borders, our nation will cease to exist. Wake up American patriots and fight for your nation! ILLEGAL ALIENS GO HOME!
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The US is being invaded by millions of foreign nationals, this is an act of war. Mexico is a bigger threat than Iraq or Afghanistan ever was. Illegal immigration costs the US more than 350 BILLION annually. More than 50,000 Americans have been killed and murdered by illegal aliens since 9/11/01. The amount of crime directly due to illegal immigration is staggering. Rape, robbery, child molestation, and drug dealings is off the charts. More than half of all gang members are illegal aliens. Anyone hiring an illegal alien is a criminal and traitor. We have more than 15 million Americans unemployed and unable to find work, yet our government continues to import 1.5 million foreign workers annually. More than 35 million Americans go hungry everyday. If amnesty is forced on the American people during the worst recession since the great depression, you’ll be seeing millions more invading our nation. The US is the melting pot of the world with the most liberal immigration policy in history. E pluribus unum , from many one. Most immigrants want to become Americans and assimilate. These criminals have no such desire. They refuse to assimilate, remain loyal to their country of origin, refuse to learn and speak english, send billions out of our economy in remittances, and wave foreign flags demanding rights they are not entitled to. Our country is bankrupt, BROKE! We can’t continue to turn a blind eye to illegal immigration. Unless we secure our borders, our nation will cease to exist. Wake up American patriots and fight for your nation! ILLEGAL ALIENS GO HOME!
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“…this seems like a rotten way to treat people that haven�t committed a crime…” They haven’t committed a crime… except for the fact that they’re here illegally. Oh wait, that is a crime.
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Noticing she had an outstanding immigration warrant from over a decade earlier, the bailiff notified ICE
So, I guess this lady wasn’t sure innocent after all since she already had a warrant out for her. The police were absolutely justified in notifying ICE. Perhaps if these people didn’t break so many laws to be here illegally, then they wouldn’t have to worry about a “culture of fear” That statement is funny in itself. They fear the police cause they KNOW they are wrong. Legal, law abiding citizens don’t worry about such things. No sympathy whatsoever for people who have no respect for our country or its laws. And due to that, we have absolutely no respect for them either. And to the authoir, quit being such a wuss. Illegal is illegal so quit crying already.
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Exactly, undocumented undepositors also have to endure a “culture of fear” once they rob a bank.
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All illegal aliens should be deported. We should also impose a 10 year moratorium on immigration altogether. We have too many people in this country. Other countries should fix themselves before sending their tired poor huddled masses here. We have tried to be all things to all people. That’s where the problem started. We should have seen it coming. Our government doles out our federal tax money to other countries while those countries hate us. Fine, keep the money at home. It’s our money, it should be spent on us.
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“xenophobe”???
How does reporting criminals to the authorities make someone a xenophobe? A ciminalphobe maybe?
PS. They are not “the most vulnerable members of our community” but criminals who should return to their counties of citizenship.
PPS. There used to be low paid jobs for citizens and LEGAL residents when they were teenagers or down on their luck but not anymore - ILLEGAL aliens who will to work for small cash wages have taken those jobs.
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hey, uh, why don’t you guys calm the fuck down? my dad has two illegal immigrants working for him. They pay taxes. Plus, the money they’re putting into social security and medicare they’ll never see. They work hard. Don’t break the law. Since when does everybody give a shit about being patriotic? Oh right, when it costs you money. Fuck off. 350 billion dollars? What bullshit politician came up with that number? If it was more cost effective to take any measure to keep illegal immigrants out then don’t you think the government would do it? Patriotic? Blow me.
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And just whose Social Security number are these identity thieves using to pay taxes? Is some poor sap is going to have the IRS up there arse about unreported income?
The reason that the government hasn’t done much is that the Democrats have been stonewalling ANY effort to to keep illegal immigrants out because they think they (or their anchor babies) will vote Democrat one day.
It’s an invasion, la reconquista!
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sounds like your dad is a criminal
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a criminal? your a student. your not in the job market and you most likely pay little, if any, taxes. So how does this issue affect you? Does it anger your daddy? is that why you get so upset? poor daddy has to pay higher taxes and raises a ignorant moron for a son. sounds like your dad is an asshole.
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could i get your dad’s name and number please?
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could i get your dad’s name and number please? your a fuckin moror
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I agree with the the basic ideas behind this piece, but the angle taken is not very convincing. Yes, we must do something about the situation of undocumented workers, but the argument that “they are completely innocent and have not committed any crimes” does not work b/c being here illegally is a crime…plain and simple.
It is a crime, however, that does not hurt Americans, in fact just the oppposite due to the idea that most pay taxes and contribute to services that theyll never use. Whom their crime does hurt is those attempting to enter in this country through the legal immigration process. This however, is also a problem b/c doing it legally takes years and years and is extremely difficult. This is where the problem should be addressed.
And @136,
You are a fearful, bumbling child who was no idea what he is talking about. I work daily with immigrants attempting to help them navigate their way in our system and to generalize that they are all degenerate criminals is not just a prejudiced sentiment, its just wrong. Have you meet any of these immigrants that you despise so much? Or have you simply kept your ears focused on Rush Limbaugh?
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It is true that illegal immigrants are technically criminals by law, but the point is that the law is wrong. At one time a black man was a criminal for touching a white woman. The law was wrong.
We should change the law, stop treating immigrants as criminals, and apologize to them. They have every right to be here as much as the next guy.
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Would the USA then be the only country with open borders? Mexico doesn’t let anyone just walk into the country.
Just try to get into New Zealand.
They DO NOT have every right to be here as much as the next guy - unless the next guy is also a criminal who skipped the line and sneaked into the USA ILLEGALLY.
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“seems like a rotten way to treat people that haven�t committed a crime and were”
They trespassed into the United States, and therefore they are criminals. Why can’t these people enter our country legally, as so many millions of others have. Undocumented workers violate a long-held process, and insult naturalized citizens who followed the law.
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Why is it that we continue to have opinion articles in this newspaper attacking the sheriff? It seems that they always are attacking for the same reason to: undocumented immigrants. But, really, that is not what they are. They are illegal aliens! The key word being, illegal. When you say that they have not committed a crime, you are wrong. Entering this country without the proper documents is a crime. So, if our sheriff wants to do his job, and report criminals to the authorities. I believe he should do just that.
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Illegal immigrants are here illegally. They do not have social security numbers so they cannot pay taxes on their income; unless they steal somebodies identity. I know from experience that when illegals are contacted by police or are arrested, they give you a name that doesn’t pull up. Then the next time you contact them, they give you a different last name so that you again can’t pull them up. Milwaukee has a fingerprint ID system in every squad vehicle which eliminates the issue, but how many of these illegals are habitually commiting crimes and getting away with it?
P.S. A note for the guy who is swearing: it makes you sound real intelligent!!