(The Center Square) – Wisconsin’s two Democratic members of Congress say they’re disappointed with the visit to the state’s ICE detention center.
Madison Congressman Mark Pocan and Milwaukee Congresswoman Gwen Moore made a surprise visit to the detention center in Dodge County recently.
They said they were there to perform federal oversight, and demanded to see whoever was being held for ICE.
Moore said she wanted to see one, specific detainee.
“I was particularly concerned about one detainee, Ramon Morales-Reyes, who you may all recall was falsely accused of writing a threatening letter to President Trump,” Moore said. “I was unable to see him, because they say I would have had to give notice to be able to actually see him. Although I was there under my prerogatives and privileges as a member of Congress for oversight and didn’t really need an appointment.”
Dodge County’s sheriff, however, said Moore’s Congressional prerogatives didn’t apply.
“This is not an ICE facility, which a congressperson has the ability to just come in, walk in, whenever they want to do an inspection,” Dodge County Sheriff Dale Schmidt explained.
He said the ICE detainees are being held in his jail, and Congress has nothing to do with his jail. Still, the sheriff gave Moore and Pocan a tour.
Pocan said afterwards that he was upset that he couldn’t speak with anyone from ICE, or any of the detainees.
“They (Doge County) do get very good grades as a facility…It’s a very clean facility, the ICE detainees are treated, and housed equally with county detainees that they have at the jail,” Pocan explained. “I think the real questions we had were for ICE.”
Pocan said ICE officials in Milwaukee didn’t initially answer the phone, but later called back. Though Pocan said they didn’t have immediate answers for him then.
Moore said she’s working with ICE, and said she hopes to return to the jail next week to meet with the detainees being held there.
