Assembly Democratic Leader Vows to Oppose Trump Deportations

Neubauer Promises to Oppose Deportation

Wisconsin’s Assembly Democrats are the latest to promise to fight President-elect Trump’s plan to deport illegal immigrants.

Assembly Democratic leader Greta Neubauer said on UpFront Sunday that she plans to join Gov. Tony Evers and Attorney General Josh Kaul in opposing the new president's plan to deport criminal illegal aliens.

“We are having conversations with Assembly Democrats, in our local communities, and of course with the governor and the attorney general and trying to figure out what is available to us, what levers we have to pull to try to protect our friends and neighbors,” Neubauer said.

Gov. Evers said on UpFront the week before that he will fight Trump’s promised deportation. Evers said Wisconsin needs illegal immigrants, primarily to work on the state’s dairy farms.

Neubauer echoed that sentiment on Sunday.

“We’re all very concerned, both from a moral perspective, I think it’s wrong to remove people who have lived and contributed to our communities for so long.”

Trump has said he plans to start deporting criminals who are in this country illegally, first.

Neubauer didn’t say anything about illegal criminals.

"I think there’s a nuanced conversation,” she added. “But I have many people in my community who have been here for many years, whose kids go to school with our kids, who are contributing members of our communities. We are looking into what options are available to keep those folks in our communities.”

State Rep. Ron Tusler, R-Harrison, took to Twitter to take exception to Neubauer’s attempts to split the issue.

“I along with Wisconsin Republicans will always put American & Wisconsin citizens first! Meanwhile, WI Democrats are too busy figuring out ways to protect criminal illegal aliens,” Tusler wrote. “The contrast couldn't be any clearer! #AmericaFirst #WisconsinFirst.”

Wisconsin doesn’t have any official sanctuary cities, though Madison and Dane County have made it clear that they do not cooperate with federal immigration authorities, even for people accused of serious crimes.

Trump’s pick for border czar has said the new administration will prosecute any local authorities who refuse to cooperate with the deportations, but no one is sure just what that will look like yet.

The American Immigration Council says there are 287,000 immigrants in Wisconsin, including over 72,000 who are undocumented.