Kewaunee County Sheriff Matt Joski will do his part to uphold the rule of law, but he also hopes federal legislators will do their part to address the problems that exist with immigration, which he says have existed for decades.
On Wednesday, state legislators heard from law enforcement officials, immigrants’ rights advocates, and other stakeholders on a bill requiring Wisconsin sheriffs to cooperate with Immigration and Customs Enforcement. If passed, violating counties would lose up to 15 percent in state aid if they did not comply. Joski says like all of the agencies they work with on various cases; they cooperate to ensure the rule of law is followed. Joski fully supports ICE’s efforts to locate and deport violent and repeat offending criminals living in the country. He says, however, that most immigrants he has encountered in Kewaunee County are hard-working, family-oriented, and an overall positive addition to the community. He is not advocating that current state and federal laws be ignored. Still, Joski believes this is an opportunity to take a more thoughtful approach to the immigration debate moving forward.
Joski stands by his past support for driver’s licenses for illegal immigrants, saying it adds a level of accountability for the individual to do what is right.
He adds that neither ICE nor the county has the resources to execute mass deportations, as many people fear could happen. He does expect stricter enforcement to occur in the future, but the focus now is on those committing crimes in the community. You can read more of Joski’s thoughts below.
With the many headlines we have seen over the past few weeks regarding the change in the enforcement of our nation’s immigration policies, I felt it appropriate to reach out to our partners at the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency to gain clarity. Our point of contact was very gracious, and we were able to hold a teleconference with my command staff along with representatives of other local law enforcement agencies, staff members of the Kewaunee County Human Services Department, and representatives of our local school districts. This multi-disciplinary approach to this subject was not accidental in any way, as any and all action moving forward is going to impact the lives of not just individuals but families and children of our community.
I want to start by extending my complete support to the efforts being taken currently to address the presence of those here illegally who are perpetrating violent crimes against our communities. As a law enforcement officer with over 30 years of experience, I understand the impact these criminal elements can have in a community and the need for firm and deliberate enforcement action. I would associate these actions to that of the hammer coming down, and I am grateful for the hammer. There is, however, an old saying that if the only tool in your toolbelt is a hammer, everything you see becomes a nail. The immigration issue requires us to look at our approach with more than just a one-dimensional lens. There is a point where the rigid enforcement of the law without the understanding and consideration of those who will be impacted can do more harm than good. As I stated, I am a firm believer in the law. I raised my right-hand many years ago and swore to uphold the Constitution. I committed to protecting my community by enforcement of laws. I have and will continue to do this for as long as I wear the badge, but when I see the potential for untold levels of human suffering due to the rigid application of our laws, I have to believe that we can do better.
I believe that we can walk and chew gum at the same time. I believe that we can continue our aggressive approach of rooting out those who prey upon our communities while at the same time creating an effective pathway for those who came to our country to pursue their dreams, better themselves, and, in the process, improve the communities they have settled in. I have to believe that we can do better than telling families they need to travel back to their country of origin, uprooting their children from the only reality they have ever known, to navigate the uncertainty and danger that awaits them.
There are those who would say that it was their choice to come here illegally, but you must understand that for many, their journey was out of desperate necessity, navigated in an immigration environment which, at best, was ambiguous and at worse, inaccessible. While there has been a great deal of attention given to the last few years of this dysfunction, the roots go back much farther, and responsibility for years of broken policy lies at the feet of many. This is not a time for the assignment of blame. This is not the time to remain locked in ideologies that perpetuate division. This is a time for leadership. This is a time for courage. This is a time to champion “What “is right, and not.” Who” is right.
Over a decade ago, I supported legislation surrounding creating a driver’s card program in Wisconsin. This was not embarked upon as an entitlement or the granting of rights but as a simple matter of public safety. It went nowhere. In fact, at the time, I had a legislator look me straight in the eyes and say, “Matt, if we were to enact this, we would have to recognize that they are here.” This is the same short-sighted, narrow-minded leadership I cautioned against a few sentences ago. We can and must do better.
This is not an issue that can be solved locally or even at the state level. This matter rests squarely in the hands of our national legislative representatives. I call upon them to do not what is easy or popular but to do what is right. To take an active role in our country’s next chapter of immigration law. To see in the faces of the men and women yearning for a better life for themselves and their children the same hope we each have for our families and children.
While their journey may look different than that of our own immigrant ancestors, their dream is the same. I believe that we can, in fact, balance our need for accountability with our obligation to demonstrate love through that same accountability. We are no doubt a great nation, but we have been at our absolute best in those moments of history when we demonstrated compassion when our nation needed it the most.
