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Emigration and immigration

ICE Arrests of Asylum Seekers in Milwaukee Reflect Shift in Agency's Tactics

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

The January to July period saw ICE agents arrest around 75 immigrants at or near the Milwaukee office, mostly those without a past criminal conviction or a pending criminal charge. A Venezuelan couple, Diego Ugarte-Arenas and Dailin Pacheco-Acosta, were among those arrested, despite having filed for asylum and awaiting a hearing. Their case reflects an apparent shift in ICE's interpretation of protections for asylum seekers, posing new risks for those waiting for immigration officials to hear their cases.

Key Takeaways:

  • Between January and July, ICE agents arrested around 75 immigrants at or near the Milwaukee office, mostly without a past criminal conviction or a pending criminal charge.
  • A Venezuelan couple, Diego Ugarte-Arenas and Dailin Pacheco-Acosta, were arrested during a routine check-in at the Milwaukee office, despite having filed for asylum and awaiting a hearing.
  • ICE's new approach appears to be detaining immigrants even without removal cases in immigration court, which has raised concerns about the treatment of asylum seekers.
  • Immigrants like Ugarte-Arenas and Pacheco-Acosta, who had filed for "affirmative" asylum, are being moved to the "defensive" asylum process, which often involves detention and expedited removal proceedings.
  • Milwaukee immigration attorney Ben Crouse stated that ICE's new approach is a departure from its previous practices and poses significant challenges for asylum seekers navigating the complex process.
  • The couple's case highlights the need for improved communication between immigration authorities and the DHS to ensure that notices to appear are complete and specify a time and date for hearings.

Statistics:

  • Around 75 immigrants were arrested by ICE agents at or near the Milwaukee office between January and July.
  • Over 5,000 Venezuelan immigrants have settled in Wisconsin in the last decade.
  • At least 100 immigrants with Wisconsin addresses have entered the defensive asylum process between January 2020 and August of this year.
  • Between 2019 and 2024, immigration court judges in Chicago denied roughly 40% of asylum petitions.
  • In recent months, ICE has begun filing motions to dismiss the immigration court cases of defensive asylum seekers, which can lead to expedited removal proceedings.

Sources:

  • Wisconsin Watch
  • Migration Policy Institute
  • American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA)
  • U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS)
  • U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS)
  • Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse (TRAC)
  • Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse (TRAC)
  • Vera Institute of Justice
  • Milwaukee School of Engineering

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