There's a new bill being introduced that would prevent local governments from declaring themselves "sanctuary cities" for illegal aliens.
State Senator Glenn Grothman (R-West Bend) says he wants no part of providing sanctuary to illegals.
"It seems entirely inappropriate — and sending the wrong message — to say that our government officials cannot enquire about immigration status. And furthermore it has the tendency, I would assume, to make Dane County, and perhaps Racine in the future, and area in which illegal immigrants, the type of people who are predisposed to break the law, are gonna come."
The legislation would not allow local governments to adopt laws prohibiting government workers from asking about the legal status of individuals seeking public services or notifying the federal government of the presence of illegal aliens, like in Dane County. All levels of government need to work together, Grothman says, not undermine the efforts of other officials.
"It is a slap in the face of the federal government, just as if any unit of government encouraged any group of its citizens to break the law."
Grothman says immigrants are coming to Dane County illegally, filling out forms, and using welfare and other benefits at a time of a budget crisis.
"We have heard, at least from one social worker in Dane County, that she believes that a lot of this is going on and more and more people are coming here."
The Dane County issue was known about for a while. Why bring this legislation up now? …Because there's a movement afoot to do the same thing in Racine.