Witnessing — and Fearing — ICE Actions in St. Croix County

Frederica Freyberg:
Minneapolis is just over the river from western Wisconsin communities like Hudson, where immigration agents are also venturing. “Here & Now” reporter Erica Ayisi this week took a look at what’s happening in St. Croix County.

Kimberly Solberg:
Someone personally messaged me and they said, “Kim, ICE is downtown on Main Street taking somebody. Do you know — can you get a hold of anyone?”

Erica Ayisi:
Kimberly Solberg is a community advocate and one of the moderators of the Baldwin Facebook community page. She says Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, has been in Baldwin since early January. Solberg says she sprang into action.

Kimberly Solberg:
I started reaching out to what contacts I had to try to find out if people could get a hold of the farm and let workers know, just to be alerted that ICE is in the area, and to make sure that their families are protected.

Erica Ayisi:
About 4300 people live in Baldwin, where farming is prevalent in this part of western Wisconsin.

Kimberly Solberg:
We have a very thriving, rich and diverse community of Hispanic and Guatemalan people up here working at the farms and being part of our community.

Erica Ayisi:
Solberg says the immigrant community is working in Baldwin legally.

Kimberly Solberg:
To my knowledge, most of these families are here on work visas. I know the people that sponsor them.

Erica Ayisi:
Baldwin is about 50 miles from the intense ICE activity in Minneapolis, but Solberg says ICE is active in the area. Have you seen ICE activity here in Baldwin yourself?

Kimberly Solberg:
I’ve seen clusters of ICE vehicles, maybe almost a dozen vehicles or more clustered together, getting ready to do sweeps at apartment complexes.

Erica Ayisi:
Were their faces covered?

Kimberly Solberg:
As far as I’ve seen, they’ve all, you know, they haven’t had their masks on. And that might just be a different dynamic here in Baldwin, where they feel a little more comfortable here than they do in Minneapolis.

Erica Ayisi:
Solberg says she’s seen local Baldwin Police present in ICE raids.

Kimberly Solberg:
I have seen personally local law enforcement assisting ICE and ICE actions. Not the actions taking themselves, but they were local law enforcement were present.

Erica Ayisi:
She was asked to start a group and connected with other organizations to share resources for Baldwin families who are impacted by ICE and afraid to leave their homes.

Kimberly Solberg:
Most of the people I know who give rides, who donate resources are terrified that their name gets out there as somebody who is helping.

Erica Ayisi:
The I-94 bridge behind me connects Hudson, Wisconsin, to the Minneapolis, Minnesota area. And according to Solberg, it’s invoking fear amongst local residents. She says they’ve seen ICE agents in Hudson, Baldwin and Woodville.

Kimberly Solberg:
For sure, those actions are going on in neighboring communities.

Erica Ayisi:
In Hudson, Kiva Sherr says ICE detained an employee during his first day on the job at a grocery store.

Kiva Sherr:
We have an Amazon drop off and pick up area. And so ICE went to that particular part of the store and detained an employee there.

Erica Ayisi:
Sherr says some employees feel they’re being profiled. She and other staff want to help support them if ICE returns, but she says fear takes precedence.

Kiva Sherr:
Even though I want to be a good person and help, there’s that fear of what are they going to do? Are they going to use tear gas?

Group singing:
In the darkest times, I’m going to let it shine.

Erica Ayisi:
Back in Baldwin, Solberg says the community is holding a vigil for their Minneapolis neighbors, Renee Good and Alex Pretti, who were killed by ICE.

Kimberly Solberg:
It’s about, you know, having a peaceful presence…

Erica Ayisi:
To help each other heal.

Kimberly Solberg:
… and being there for each other. It shouldn’t be about politics.

Erica Ayisi:
In St. Croix County, I’m Erica Ayisi for “Here & Now.”