Waukesha County gets preliminary OK to aid in federal immigration law enforcement

An advisory panel Tuesday recommended approval of Waukesha County's application to participate in a controversial federal immigration law enforcement program.

News of the recommendation came after a Milwaukee immigrants rights organization reported that former Milwaukee County Sheriff David A. Clarke Jr.'s application for the 287(g) program was rejected.

The Office of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) would need to give final approval of the application from Waukesha County Sheriff Eric Severson to take part in the program, which is expected to take up to four weeks, the sheriff said in a news release.

The program's "jail model" allows state or local law enforcement entities to partner with ICE to identify what the agency calls "criminal aliens" in local jails and turn them over to ICE.

Critics of the program say it will erode bonds of trust and cooperation between immigrants and law enforcement, deter reports of crime and waste tax dollars.

Tuesday, Voces de la Frontera urged Severson to scrap Waukesha County's application for 287(g), while reporting that Clarke's application to the program had been rejected.

Calls and messages late Tuesday afternoon to ICE and Milwaukee County sheriff's officials were not returned.