Five counties in Minnesota and 11 counties in Wisconsin have agreements in place to cooperate with federal immigration and customs enforcement.

These agreements are known as 287(g) agreements, which allow local law enforcement to assume certain duties related to immigration enforcement. In Minnesota, Itasca, Crow Wing, Cass, Freeborn, and Jackson counties have such agreements. In Wisconsin, Brown, Fon du Lac, Manitowoc, Marquette, Sheboygan, Washington, Waukesha, Waupaca, Waushara, Winnebago, and Wood counties have them.

ACLU-MN representative Julio Zelaya shared how he thinks the 287(g) contracts might affect immigrant communities within these counties.

“It’s going to draw a wedge between our communities, our immigrant communities, our adjacent communities, our mixed status families. It’s going to ask of officers to make assumptions, to draw conclusions about someone’s status, and it’s going to put officers in a position where they are separating people’s families that they probably know,” said Zelaya.

We reached out to the Cass and Crow Wing sheriff’s offices but have not heard back.

The Itasca County sheriff declined to comment.