Madison Reporter

Kalvin Barrett, the Dane County Sheriff known for his stance on immigration, has endorsed Susan Crawford in the upcoming Wisconsin Supreme Court race. Barrett, who was appointed by Governor Tony Evers in 2021, is a proponent of diversity and inclusion in law enforcement. He teaches at Madison Area Technical College and is involved with NOBLE, an organization advocating for equity in policing.

Barrett's policies on immigration have been contentious. A spokesperson said that Dane County would not participate in federal efforts to deport criminal aliens. Documents show that Barrett has declined most ICE requests to detain deportable individuals until federal custody can be arranged. This approach aligns with Milwaukee County's non-cooperation with ICE, as noted by the agency.

Republicans in Wisconsin are pushing to deport illegal aliens, but Barrett's actions complicate these efforts. Eight Republican-led counties have agreements with ICE to hold illegal aliens for federal authorities. In contrast, Barrett withdrew from a federal program that reimburses local jurisdictions for incarcerating illegal aliens accused of felonies.

A bill introduced by Senator Julian Bradley aims to ban sanctuary cities and require counties to participate in the federal program. Barrett criticized this legislation, asserting that law enforcement should not be dictated by state lawmakers.

Susan Crawford's campaign has received endorsements from various groups, including Planned Parenthood and EMILY's List. Concerns about conflicts of interest have arisen due to her past legal work defending Planned Parenthood and her potential involvement in a Supreme Court case regarding abortion rights if elected.

Crawford will face Brad Schimel, a former Attorney General, in the election on April 1.

Information from this article can be found here.