Green Bay WI — Representative Amaad Rivera Wagner (D – Green Bay) announced new legislation to strengthen community trust and ensure accountability in Wisconsin.
One bill creates state grants for community based organizations that provide immigration related legal services, ensuring families have access to fair representation regardless of their immigration status. The second requires law enforcement officers, and those acting with them, to identify themselves, display their badge and name, and provide legal authority for arrests or detentions, and prohibits the use of masks or disguises to hide identity.
“These are bills I am proud to introduce with my colleagues, but let me be clear: they should not be necessary,” said Rep. Rivera Wagner. “Yet given the national dynamics we face, masked agents operating without accountability and families fearful of unlawful detention, Wisconsin must act to protect our communities.”
Rivera Wagner highlighted Green Bay’s long history of welcoming people from across the world: “From French fur traders to our Indigenous Oneida neighbors, from German workers to Latino farmers, Hmong veterans, and refugees from Somalia, Ukraine, and Afghanistan; at our best, we are a city that rewards hard work and builds community, no matter where you come from or what language you speak.”
He added, “We support law enforcement because they are part of this community, working to build trust. But masked agents who act outside of these values, taking people who have committed no crimes and sowing fear, cannot be the new normal. These bills provide legal resources when rights are threatened, and require accountability from anyone making an arrest or detention.”
Rivera Wagner concluded, “Life is already difficult enough for working families. We cannot allow bad actors to strip away our freedoms or divide us. These bills help protect what makes Wisconsin strong: fairness, safety, and dignity for all.”
