Voces de la Frontera Condemns Recent Detentions in Manitowoc and Madison
(Milwaukee, October 3rd, 2025)— Voces de la Frontera denounces the recent actions of ICE in Wisconsin, including arrests in Manitowoc last week and yesterday’s detentions in northeast Madison. These operations reflect a troubling pattern of escalating enforcement across the state, carried out under the pretext of fighting crime.
The use of force, violence, and threats does not reflect the principles and values of a participatory democracy. More importantly, these tactics are not effective tools for combating crime or making our communities safer. Instead, ICE’s methods, often in collaboration with state and federal law enforcement, have repeatedly shown this administration’s willingness to violate constitutional rights to advance its political agenda and benefit a few at the expense of many.
“Yesterday’s ICE arrests in northeast Madison highlight why immigrant justice must remain a priority in our city and state,” said Luis Velasquez, Organizing Director at Voces de la Frontera. “Every person deserves dignity, due process, and the full protection of the judicial system,” he added.
Christine Neumann-Ortiz, Executive Director of Voces de la Frontera, affirmed that “local law enforcement should not be complicit in spreading fear, but rather work to ensure that immigrant families feel safe reporting crimes, sending their children to school, and contributing openly to our community. What we need is investment in trust, not raids that tear families apart. As we monitor this situation, we urge our local leaders to stand with immigrant communities and make clear that Manitowoc, Madison, and Wisconsin as a whole will not allow federal enforcement to undermine justice and safety for all.”
Voces de la Frontera has been actively working with families affected by these detentions in both Manitowoc and Madison, ensuring access to legal assistance through our network of attorneys, and offering other services to protect their rights and well-being. In both cases, it was our emergency hotline that first received community reports of ICE presence, allowing us to deploy our network of community verifiers to gather and confirm critical information.
We reaffirm that safety comes not from raids, but from trust, solidarity, and policies that respect the humanity and contributions of immigrant families who are integral to Wisconsin’s future.
