Moore, Pocan Statement on ICE Visit in Dodge County, WI

Today, Congresswoman Gwen Moore (WI-04) and Congressman Mark Pocan (WI-02) visited Wisconsin’s only ICE detention facility, Dodge County Jail, as part of their congressional oversight responsibilities of the executive branch. This visit provided a firsthand understanding of the facility’s conditions and the impact of ICE policies. In response, they released the following statement:

“We were relieved to see that the Dodge County Jail was well-maintained and provided mental health, recreational and medical services to detainees. However, it was concerning that we couldn’t visit detainees in the facility or receive more detailed information on ICE detainees.

“During our visit, it became clear that the root of the issues are ICE policies, which include denying individuals their right to due process. In this facility, ICE is still detaining Ramon Morales Reyes despite being wrongfully accused of a crime. ICE is also working without transparency to Congress, which was only magnified by today’s visit when we tried to call the local Milwaukee field office number on its website, but the number was disconnected. It is unacceptable for ICE to be inaccessible to Members of Congress.

“As Members of Congress, we will continue using all tools available to conduct oversight.”

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.