Darryl Morin on Federal Immigration Enforcement in Wisconsin

Frederica Freyberg:
The House passage this week of a tax cut and spending bill that enacts President Donald Trump’s agenda, does so by adding some $2.5 trillion to the national debt over ten years. That’s after cutting more than $1 trillion in social safety net programs like Medicaid and food aid. The bill also beefs up spending on immigration enforcement. Billions of dollars for more ICE officers and the border wall, for example. And it includes things like a $1,000 fee on migrants seeking asylum. On immigration policy as it affects Wisconsin, we turn for reaction to Darryl Morin, who’s national president of Forward Latino. He joins us from Milwaukee. And thanks very much for being here.

Darryl Morin:
Well, thank you for having me here today.

Frederica Freyberg:
So passage of the bill, as you know, was not without kind of Republican infighting over its provisions. But what is your reaction to what’s in it around immigration?

Darryl Morin:
Well, we’re continuing to see an attack on our immigrant community, which we know has so many — you know, impacts our state in so many different ways. From the workforce and labor force shortage that we have right now in the state of Wisconsin to the very social fabric tearing apart people, tearing apart families. And we’re talking about people for the majority who are worshiping in our pews, working in our shops, helping pick our food and care for our parents. So it’s going to continue to have a profound impact on our state here.

Frederica Freyberg:
What can we understand about the numbers of immigrants in Wisconsin who have come in contact with ICE?

Darryl Morin:
Well, fortunately, the ICE offices in the state of Wisconsin do not have the resources that we know they wish they had. So we’ve seen — we’ve seen a slight uptick in the number of detentions. But the ones that have happened have been very high profile, such as the detentions that have taken place in courthouses, for instance. And that was a practice that under Democratic and Republican administrations before was strictly banned because they realized the impact that would have on public safety. But sadly, things have changed with this administration.

Frederica Freyberg:
Yes, because perhaps the most visible arrest in Wisconsin was that of Milwaukee Judge Hannah Dugan, charged with allegedly helping a man evade arrest by ICE agents. And it was shown in a photo released by FBI Director Kash Patel. What do you make of that case?

Darryl Morin:
Well, sadly, I fear that the FBI and the folks working there are not being led well. That issue seems to be more one about garnering headlines and trying to intimidate the courts than doing anything to improve public safety. What’s been rather surprising and welcome — welcoming to see is that so many people on both the liberal and conservative sides are actually donating to the judge’s campaign to fund her, her legal representation. And in fact, she’s being represented by two of the most conservative attorneys, well-credentialed conservative attorneys in the state. So I think everybody’s coming together and said it’s important not only to defend her, but more importantly, defend the Constitution and the separation of powers between the executive branch and the judiciary.

Frederica Freyberg:
And yet, when people you advocate for see a judge arrested, what do they think about their own protections?

Darryl Morin:
Well, there’s — I’m not going to deny it, there is tremendous concern out there right now with all of the policies and rules that are changing outside of the normal channels. We’re seeing individuals across the country, even those lawfully present in the United States, being detained and deported without any due process whatsoever. And what I think should concern every American is that a lot of those detentions and deportations have taken place despite court orders saying that they were not to move forward, and they were not to occur. So not only is this an immigration issue, but it’s quickly becoming a constitutional issue as well.

Frederica Freyberg:
We know this week that the U.S. Supreme Court allowed Donald Trump to revoke Venezuelans’ protected status as that case proceeds. What is your and others reaction to that?

Darryl Morin:
Oh, there’s a tremendous amount of fear and — but I think, more importantly, a feeling of betrayal amongst so many in the Venezuelan community whose vote was literally courted by the administration’s campaign, you know, accusing our previous president of being a dictator much in the framework of the current leader of Venezuela. And then to see what is happening today, they are completely dismayed and disappointed and enraged and fearful cause many of them are going to be returned under these conditions to an oppressive regime and will feel those repercussions in a very serious way.

Frederica Freyberg:
When you consider all of the kinds of ways that the administration wants to sweep immigrants from our shores and prevent new immigrants from coming here, what stands out the most?

Darryl Morin:
Well, being a person of faith, I can tell you that’s the first thing here. I think that I fear the administration has taken an all-stick approach to this. It doesn’t have to be one or the other. For years we’ve advocated with others, such as former Speaker Paul Ryan and the late, great Senator John McCain. We’ve advocated for immigration reform that would not only meet our country’s security and economic concerns and requirements but would allow us to fulfill the tenets of our faith and to be the defenders of humanity. So we know we can have all three. They’re not mutually exclusive.

Frederica Freyberg:
Darryl Modin, thanks very much for joining us.

Darryl Morin:
Thank you.