Following the arrest of a Milwaukee judge for obstruction, Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers is backpedaling on reports he directed state employees to obstruct ICE and protect illegal aliens.
Evers, a Democrat, issued guidance on April 18 directing state employees not to cooperate with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement or other federal agents.
They were told “Do not answer questions, “Do not give the agent access to any paper files or computer systems, and “Do not give your consent for the agent to enter into a non-public area.”
Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Hannah Dugan was arrested Friday by the FBI. Republicans are accusing the governor of instructing state employees to break federal law. Evers refutes those claims.
“Yeah, that’s crap,” Evers said on WISN 12’s “UPFRONT.” “I just think if they come in, ICE comes in and wants to talk to somebody, I think an attorney should be there.”
Evers’ comments follow an embarrassing video of himself trying to throw and catch a football to promote the NFL draft and efforts to replace the word “mother” with “inseminated person.”
Republican lawmakers and other critics called Evers’ guidance “a new low” and “embarrassing,” The Blaze reports.
Wisconsin Fraternal Order of Police President Ryan Windorff mocked the move: “Wow, Governor Evers, stellar plan! Instructing state employees to blow off federal agents, even with a warrant in hand, is next-level brilliance. Why bother with federal law when you can nudge your workers toward violating 18 U.S.C. § 111?”
State Rep. Tony Wied said in an X post, “It is absolutely insane for Governor Evers to order state employees to ignore federal law enforcement. Wisconsinites want a secure border and they deserve a Governor that prioritizes their safety and wellbeing over illegal aliens.”
State Rep. Tom Tiffany, R-Wausau, alerted Attorney General Pam Bondi to the guidance on X, writing, “Tony Evers is at it again. Now, his administration is ordering state employees to block ICE from doing their job. Wisconsin deserves better.”
During the UPFRONT interview, Evers shifts to talking about Wisconsin’s farmers—not state employees—alleging the have all sorts of undocumented people.
“And you know if Donald Trump starts going after them, we will become a shadow of the state we are right now,” Evers said. “We’re not taking any rights away from ICE. They run the show. We just want to make sure there’s an attorney there, see the documents, what’s going on, can we do this someplace else rather than our place of work, and make it more reasonable?”
The guidance issued by Evers’ Department of Administration provided state workers with instructions on what to do if ICE ever showed up to their office. Employees are supposed to ask for the agent’s name, badge, reason for showing up and supporting documentation.
The guidance instructs state employees to call their office of legal counsel and speak directly with an attorney. If an attorney is unreachable, then state employees were advised to ask the federal agent to come back at another time.
The day the guidance went out, Dugan allegedly helped an illegal alien escape from her courtroom and avoid ICE agents who were waiting to arrest him.
Dugan has been accused of assisting Mexican national Eduardo Flores-Ruiz, a previously deported illegal alien facing three misdemeanor counts of battery, get away from immigration officials following his pretrial April 18 appearance in her courtroom.
Dugan has been charged with two federal felony counts: obstructing or impeding a proceeding before a department or agency of the U.S. and concealing an individual to prevent his discovery and arrest.
Based on his actions, Evers never planned to cooperate with the Trump administration’s deportation efforts. In December, Tiffany wrote an op-ed in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel calling out the Biden administration’s failed border policies and Evers:
“In case you missed it last week, Gov. Tony Evers called the plan of President-elect Trump’s border czar, Tom Homan, to punish local officials who don’t comply with immigration laws “stupid talk.” He further stated, “We’ll do whatever we can” to avoid mass deportations in Wisconsin.
Evers said he would veto a bill introduced by State Rep. Jim Piwowarczyk, R-Hubertus, designed to improve cooperation between local law enforcement and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), according to an op-ed published by WisconsinRightNow.com.
The bill would require sheriffs to verify the citizenship status of individuals arrested for felonies and inquire with ICE if the status is unclear. If ICE issues a detainer, the sheriff must hold the individual for up to 48 hours for federal action.
“It’s disappointing that Gov. Evers prioritizes political agendas over the safety of Wisconsin families,” Piwowarczyk wrote. “By refusing to support this common-sense legislation, he is letting dangerous individuals remain in our communities.”
