Mexican Consulate in Milwaukee Reacts to New DHS Immigration Guidelines

The Mexican Consulate in Milwaukee has reviewed the new guidelines the Department of Homeland Security released Tuesday (Feb 21) on how it will carry out the president's executive orders on immigration enforcement.

Consul Julián Adem said the tougher immigration policies mean more work for the consulate and it’s ready with an outreach campaign. They plan to go to churches and work with local organizations.

"We are very respectful of law and our job is not to question it,” Adem said. We do want to see and look out for the rights of our Mexican immigrants."

The guidelines call for the immediate return of Mexican immigrants captured at the border, the hiring of 10,000 more ICE agents and 5,000 more for the border patrol, and the prosecution of parents who pay smugglers to bring their children into the country illegally.

Adem said that they will make sure Mexican National detained have due process and that’s why they are working with attorneys.

“We’ll be intensifying our work, that's why we opened in the lobby of this consulate, where we receive people for passports and IDs, we know have legal services office staffed, 10 hours a day," Adem said.

Francisco Aguilar is a Milwaukee business owner and he said he’s nervous, scared and stressed because of the President’s executive orders on immigration.

"It's difficult for the Latino community," Aguilar said.

As a business owner he said he pays his taxes and all the licenses he needs to run his business contributing to society.

“I love this place, I love my city, I love my country because this city opened its arms to me," Aguilar said.

In the new guidelines, it outlines a partnership between local and state law enforcement agencies to help ICE agents detain undocumented immigrants.

CBS58 reached out for Milwaukee County Sheriff David Clarke for comment but didn’t hear back. However, in the past he’s said he wants to work with immigration agents to detain undocumented immigrants.

Milwaukee Police Chief Ed Flynn has said the opposite stating that the department has no intention in working with ICE agents unless it has to do with dangerous criminals.