Milwaukee County Sheriff David Clarke has signed a letter of intent to take part in the federal government's 287(g) Task Force/Jail Enforcement program. It trains local law enforcement and then gives it authority to enforce immigration violations.
According to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, it currently partners with 37 law enforcement agencies in 16 states.
Clarke released his announcement Wednesday afternoon via a web post.
In response to Clarke's announcement, the immigrant rights group Voces de la Frontera released a statement promising "massive resistance" to the sheriff's action, which Voces claims could result in racial profiling, interrogations and deportations.
The statement reads, in part, "He (Clarke) will gain national notoriety, but also international condemnation. Clarke's self-aggrandizing actions will humiliate our county and state, and will make him the subject of lawsuits and criminal investigations. Like with (Arizona's Joe) Arpaio, ultimately voters will throw him out of office for his abuse of power and human rights violations. Clarke might face jail time, as Arpaio does today.
"We will take escalated action leading up to an international general strike on May 1st. We have shown that we can organize mass strikes, business closures, consumer boycotts, school walkouts, and civil disobedience."
