A recent incident in Milwaukee has raised concerns over anti-immigrant sentiment after the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) wrongly accused an immigrant resident. In response, all members of the Milwaukee Common Council—including Alderman José G. Pérez, Alderwoman Marina Dimitrijevic, and Alderman Russell W. Stamper, II—issued a joint statement addressing the impact of the false claim, according to the City of Milwaukee.
The situation began when the Department of Homeland Security publicly accused a Milwaukee immigrant of sending a death threat to the President. It was later determined that the individual was not responsible and was, in fact, a victim of a crime. Authorities are now investigating whether the actual perpetrator sent the false threat to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to have the immigrant deported before they could testify in an upcoming court case.
The Milwaukee Common Council issued a joint statement criticizing the Department of Homeland Security’s handling of the incident. The council quoted, "The Department of Homeland Security’s top priority should be protecting the people of this country. In this instance, they did the exact opposite." Following the incident, the individual and his family reportedly received death threats and were detained. The council expressed concern that the situation may have contributed to rising anti-immigrant sentiment and detracted from public safety efforts.
While the council has criticized the situation, the DHS has not confirmed whether it is conducting an internal review. The incident has drawn attention to concerns about how immigration-related matters are handled and communicated by government agencies.
