Milwaukee unions provide ‘Know Your Rights’ training amid ICE enforcement concerns

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As U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement activity begins to spread to western Wisconsin and anxiety increases in southeastern Wisconsin, some unions in the Milwaukee area are offering training to workers on what to do if immigration enforcement visits the job site.

Some members of the Milwaukee construction community expressed anxiety over rumors and anticipation of ICE enforcement. Because anticipation in the city is so heavy, some unions such as the Milwaukee Area Labor Council, an affiliate of the AFL-CIO representing approximately 25,000 union workers in the area, have offered “Know Your Rights” training to workers and employers who seek it.

On Feb. 17, Eau Claire County Sheriff Dave Riewestahl announced that ICE had detained four people, the Wisconsin Examiner reported. One was arrested at a construction site in Altoona, and three fled to the town of Washington, where they were later arrested. Federal agents notified the sheriff and said they were looking for a suspect who allegedly assaulted a law enforcement officer, but it’s not clear if agents arrested the suspect they were looking for.

In Milwaukee, city officials tried to reassure anxious residents and answer questions at a meeting at Alverno College, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported. Both the Milwaukee police chief and the Milwaukee County sheriff said residents could rely on local law enforcement but admitted their abilities were limited in the event of possible misconduct by ICE agents.

On Feb. 10, the news organization Wired reported that the legal branch of ICE in September had plans to expand its operations into more than 20 American cities including Milwaukee. Currently, ICE has an office on 310 Knapp St. near the city’s downtown and plans to move to 11925 Lake Park Dr. in the city’s northwest side.

“We feel that immigrant rights are worker rights because one in five American workers currently were born elsewhere,” said Pam Fendt, president of MALC. “It was announced this week that in 2025 the largest number of people hit the age of 65 ever in the country, so the Baby Boom is now retirement age. The next generation is smaller, and we have a lot of unfilled jobs and workers have been coming generation after generation to America looking for opportunity.”

The construction workforce has many Latino and Hispanic workers here legally, whether through a visa, refugee status, or seeking asylum, Fendt noted. The U.S. Department of Labor may offer a visa to a worker born outside the U.S. if they cooperate during an investigation into an employer who may be committing a misdeed, she added.

To better support those workers, MALC and other AFL-CIO organizations are offering guidance based on American Civil Liberties Union’s resources for immigrants.

Anyone in the U.S. regardless of legal status has the right to remain silent and refuse consent to a search if they are stopped by immigration enforcement in public, according to the ACLU.

You should show valid immigration documents to agents if you have them, the ACLU added.

If you are arrested, you have a right to talk to a lawyer, according to ACLU. You have the right to record your interactions with agents if you do not interfere, the ACLU added.

Law enforcement officers need a proper warrant from a court signed by a judge to enter your home, unless you consent, according to a pamphlet from the AFL-CIO. You have the right to deny them consent and a warrant from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security does not give officers the right to enter your home against your will, the AFL-CIO added.

With 92% of U.S. construction firms reporting difficulty finding qualified workers, around 28% of respondents in a 2025 Associated General Contractors of America survey said they had been affected by immigration enforcement six months prior. That included jobsite visits, workers failing to show up to work due to rumored enforcement and subcontractors losing workers.

“Wisconsin needs immigrant workers,” Fendt said. “Look at hotels, look at the Wisconsin Dells … there is no workforce there to take those jobs.” She warned that a future ICE operation in the state would have a chilling effect on workers after employers had fought so hard to find candidates.

If union members and employers are interested in taking a “Know Your Rights” training, they should reach out to MALC’s office, Fendt said.