Federal agents arrest man on Milwaukee's south side in 'ongoing investigation'

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2 days ago

Federal agents arrested an immigrant on Milwaukee's south side on June 10, sparking fears from residents and local officials of a wider immigration crackdown.
A family member said law enforcement officers who appeared to be immigration agents entered a four-unit apartment building on South 22nd Street at about 7 a.m. and arrested his brother-in-law, Mario Torres.
That morning, people reported seeing federal agents gathered in the parking lot of the Mitchell Park Domes and near 22nd Street and National Avenue on the city's heavily Latino south side.
Christine Neumann-Ortiz, the executive director of the immigrant rights group Voces De La Frontera, said the group confirmed U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents took Torres into custody. On Facebook, the group said the arrest "was not a general raid, but a specific case."
The arrest comes as massive protests against recent ICE raids erupted in Los Angeles over the weekend and have since spread to other cities. President Donald Trump has ordered National Guard members to the Los Angeles area.
An ICE spokesperson said the agency could not share information about whether agents were operating in Milwaukee.
"To ensure the safety of our personnel, ICE does not confirm or discuss the existence or status of operations," the spokesperson said. "The agency publicly announces the results of operations when appropriate."
Ashlee Sherrill, a spokesperson for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, said agents were "executing a court-authorized, federal warrant as part of an ongoing investigation."
"As this is an active matter, we are not able to provide additional details at this time," she said.
The U.S. Marshals assisted ATF in "the execution of the federal arrest warrant" and an arrest, said Scott Keller, U.S. Marshal. The warrant was related to a firearm violation, he said.
About 10 or 15 agents climbed the narrow stairs of the apartment building with masks covering the bottom half of their faces, said Diego Castro, Torres' brother-in-law, who is also a tenant there.
Agents pounded on all four apartment doors, and when they got to Castro's apartment, they said they had a warrant for his wife's name and ordered him to open his door, according to Castro.
Castro didn't open the door and the agents eventually left, he said.
The agents said they had a warrant for Torres' arrest, then kicked in his door and took Torres into custody, according to Castro.
A Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reporter saw a piece of black tape placed over the security camera on Torres' apartment door. Castro said the tape was placed there by law enforcement agents.
Torres, a mechanic, moved to Milwaukee over six years ago from Guatemala, Castro said.
Castro said he was about to head to work, but now he and his wife and three children are terrified of when agents will come knocking again.
"It was a very scary moment," Castro said. "We don't want anything to happen to our children."
Several Milwaukee officials raised concerns about the reported presence of ICE in Milwaukee.
"They're definitely not welcome here," said Milwaukee County Supervisor Juan Miguel Martinez, whose district includes the Mitchell Park neighborhood.
And Milwaukee Common Council President Jose Perez urged people to know their rights.
"As always, people should be afforded their due process rights," Perez said. "I will continue to advocate this position with our local and federal partners."
He added, "Our priority should be keeping families together."
A Milwaukee protest against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is scheduled for the night of June 10 in Cathedral Square.
The arrest in Milwaukee follows immigration raids in California on June 6 that sparked larger protests in Los Angeles and Dallas.
On June 7, President Donald Trump ordered National Guard members to the Los Angeles area. That night, protesters threw rocks, bottles, and fireworks at officers. Local police then declared a small part of downtown Los Angeles an unlawful assembly area, and large numbers of protesters were cleared from the site.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Federal agents arrest immigrant on Milwaukee's south side