‘It’s unbearable to see': Hundreds rally against recent federal immigration arrests as local governments feud with DHS
MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- The Milwaukee Turners organization said two more people were detained by federal immigration agents on Wednesday, July 1.
They're the latest of dozens of arrest operations over the past few days that have increased fear and anxiety in minority communities. According to the Department of Homeland Security, 39 people were detained during enforcement operations in Wisconsin over the weekend.
In response, another ICE OUT rally was held Wednesday evening to increase awareness.
Hundreds of people attended, but friends and family told us many more people stayed home for fear of being picked up by agents.
The Department of Homeland Security maintains the operations target violent criminals. But activist group Voces de la Frontera claimed an "overwhelming majority" do not have criminal records.
At the rally, we heard from people who were detained themselves.
Galo Suarez spoke through an interpreter, telling the crowd, "We can't allow people who are masked, who are pointing guns at you, to violently stop people."
Suarez and his fiancée were detained a few days ago by federal agents. He was released; she was not.
It was one of dozens of immigration operations throughout the area in recent days that have raised anxiety and fear in minority communities.
This week, a group of six Milwaukee alders released a statement that said, in part: "We strongly condemn this fascist terror activity being carried out in our neighborhoods."
In response, the Fraternal Order of Police, Cream City Lodge No. 8, issued a statement that said: "The response from certain Milwaukee elected officials has been disappointing, divisive, and dangerous."
The city and county are pushing federal agents to abide by local ordinances that ban agents from wearing masks and face coverings.
DHS has refused. Assistant DHS Secretary Lauren Bis said banning masks "is despicable and a flagrant attempt to endanger our officers." She added, "ICE officers wear face coverings for one reason: to protect themselves and their families from real-world threats, including agitators. The danger is not hypothetical."
The FOP wrote, "Public officials should be focused on officer safety, not undermining it." They added, "The Fraternal Order of Police calls upon [them] to stop undermining federal law enforcement."
At the rally, state Rep. Priscilla Prado, a Democrat from Milwaukee, said the immigration actions are indiscriminate, that people who have legal status and have done nothing wrong are still affected and afraid.
"It's already happening," Prado said. "We see it. Women, children are being put at risk. It's unbearable to see."
Luz Hernandez is a bilingual MPS teacher and the vice president of the teachers' union. She said she wanted to speak up for people too afraid to speak for themselves. She told us she's afraid of the immigration activity, despite being a naturalized citizen with legal status.
Hernandez said, "To a certain point, that doesn't matter, right? I'm brown. And so just by that, I am a target."
Hernandez told us she has a lawyer on standby in case she is detained.
Quetzsally Dzib is also a U.S. citizen with dual U.S.-Mexican citizenship. She told us she's not afraid.
Dzib insists her legal status is protected, and she's certain that if she were wrongfully deported, she would eventually be allowed to return to the United States.
"If they take me," she said, "I will just take it as a free flight back home [to visit Mexico]."
Dzib's 11-year-old daughter, Irie, has a friend in Milwaukee whose family has not left their house since federal activity ramped up.
Irie said, "I will not say her name. She is very scared for her and her family because she knows about ICE, and they know they would take her."
Later, demonstrators took to the streets, marching more than a mile despite the heat.
They pledged their support to vulnerable populations but also said the current tone has changed dramatically.
Quetzsally Dzib said, "Right now, the American dream is no longer what it used to be. Our American dream is actually in Mexico now."