Over one weekend in late June 2026, federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents arrested at least 18 people across the Milwaukee area — many during traffic stops on the city's south side. Video footage shows agents in unmarked vehicles wearing masks and armored vests labeled "police," pulling people from their cars without clearly identifying themselves as ICE.

Milwaukee has a law against this. Since April 21, 2026, law enforcement officers — including federal agents — are prohibited from wearing face coverings while interacting with the public in the city. Violators face fines of $5,000 to $10,000 per incident. So far, no citations have been issued.

The people being detained make this even more urgent. According to Voces de la Frontera, an immigrant advocacy group that documented the arrests, most of those detained have open asylum cases or prior deportation orders — not serious criminal charges. Some may have active, valid asylum claims still pending in court.

"These inhumane actions do not make anyone safer or more secure," Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley said in a statement.

Milwaukee passed its anti-masking ordinance precisely to hold all law enforcement — federal or local — accountable to the people they serve. City Attorney Evan Goyke and the Milwaukee Police Department have the authority and the obligation to enforce it.

Sign this petition to demand City Attorney Evan Goyke enforce Milwaukee's no-masking ordinance against ICE agents — and to call on ICE to halt enforcement actions against people with open asylum cases and valid legal claims still pending in court.