Steil has previously presented Whitewater as a “case study” in the harmful effects of illegal immigration under the current administration. The influx of about 1,000 migrants into this town of 15,000 has led to increasing pressure on law enforcement, school resources and housing capacity in Whitewater, according to reports. Today, the city witnesses cartel activity, including drug and human trafficking operations, Steil testified, referring to several reports.

“We know the danger this poses to our communities,” Steil said. “And there have been state laws that would have allowed us to ban sanctuary cities here in the United States, but we have failed to do that under Democratic leadership.”

Although Madison is the only city in Wisconsin officially classified As a sanctuary city, Whitewater officials appear unsure whether the city is legally able to return the migrants, who are granted temporary asylum status under the city’s “catch and release” policy. the Biden-Harris administration, where migrants crossing the country illegally are allowed into the country. are waiting in the United States for their applications to be processed by an immigration court.

The effects of illegal immigration have also affected Wisconsin statewide, Van Orden said during the hearing, particularly in the state’s prisons.

In particular, the Federal Correctional Institution in Oxford, Wisconsin, holds 650 migrants who have committed crimes, more than half of the prison’s capacity of 1,200 people. According to Oxford administrators, the cost of housing a single detainee is $42,000 a year, which equates to $27 million in taxpayer dollars going toward detaining immigration detainees.

A record 14 million illegal border crossings occurred during the Biden-Harris administration, with nearly 3 million occurred in the last fiscal year 2024, the second highest number in U.S. history.