Dane County Sheriff Ends Participation in Federal Immigration Data Sharing
The Dane County Sheriff’s Office has chosen to withdraw from a federal initiative that compensates local agencies for providing information about undocumented immigrants to federal authorities. Known as the State Criminal Alien Assistance Program (SCAAP), this program reimburses counties for costs incurred when detaining immigrants under certain conditions, such as a minimum four-day incarceration after felony or multiple misdemeanor convictions.
More than two dozen Wisconsin counties currently participate in SCAAP, but Dane County, under the leadership of Sheriff Kalvin Barrett, has decided to sever ties. Barrett stated in an interview with WISC-TV that changes in immigration enforcement under President Donald Trump’s administration influenced this decision, alongside community feedback. He emphasized, “My main message to our immigrant community as a whole is that we are here for you.”
Dane County collected over $630,000 from 2016 to 2020 through SCAAP, the highest amount for any local agency in the state except for the Wisconsin Department of Corrections. In 2023 alone, the county received about $80,000, according to federal data. Despite the financial impact, County Executive Melissa Agard supports the decision, citing the return of Trump’s administration and its immigration policies as misaligned with Dane County’s values. Agard remarked, “It really doesn’t reflect the inclusive and welcoming community that Dane County strives to be.”
Milwaukee County, the largest in Wisconsin, does not participate in SCAAP, and the American Civil Liberties Union of Wisconsin has been urging other counties to follow Dane County’s lead. Tim Muth, a senior attorney with the ACLU of Wisconsin, stated, “The deportation machine runs on data and participating in the SCAAP program fed data into that deportation machine.”
From fiscal year 2024, Dane County will not seek SCAAP reimbursements, and funds previously received were directed to the county’s general budget. With Dane County’s budget exceeding $900 million, Agard feels confident that the absence of SCAAP funds will not hinder their ability to deliver quality services.
As Trump resumes office, the collaboration between local law enforcement and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has come under renewed scrutiny. The Republican-led state legislature is considering a bill to withhold state aid from communities that do not cooperate with federal immigration authorities by notifying them when they cannot verify the immigration status of individuals arrested for felonies. However, Democratic Governor Tony Evers has vowed to veto such legislation.
Dane County’s current policy involves notifying ICE of a detainee’s release if ICE has a judicial order for an immigration hold. However, the sheriff’s office does not detain individuals beyond their scheduled release date. “It’s up to them (ICE officials) to be here to take custody of the person,” stated sheriff’s office spokesperson Elise Schaffer.
