We'll continue our coverage of that race next week, including more on the candidates
and issues facing Wisconsin's education system.
As deportations escalate across the country, the state assembly this week passed a bill
that would require county sheriffs to cooperate with federal immigration authorities.
The bill would require that sheriffs request proof of legal presence in the U.S. from
people held in a county jail on a felony charge and report them to the U.S. Department of
Homeland Security.
It would also require sheriffs to comply with federal detainer warrants, that is, holding
an unauthorized person jailed on a criminal offense for ICE.
Failure to comply would result in the loss of 15% of a county's shared revenue payments.
If the bill makes it to the governor's desk, he says he will veto it.
The Kiwani county sheriff has weighed in on the immigration issue, calling for keeping
his community safe, while at the same time calling for compassion.
Sheriff Matt Joske joins us now.
Sheriff, thanks very much for being here.
Thank you for having me.
So you have said that you, of course, are committed to protecting your community by enforcing
the laws.
But you see the potential for, quote, untold levels of human suffering due to the rigid
application of our laws.
Does this bill strike you as that rigid application of laws?
You know, this really doesn't, because you have to remember what we're talking about
here again is that criminal activity.
So that's the separation there.
When we talk about people that are in our communities that are committing crimes, I think
it's incumbent on us, right?
It's absolutely our responsibility as law enforcement officials to collaborate and cooperate at
all levels.
We've been doing this for decades.
It's unfortunate that it's reached this level, I think, of emotion and feeling, but we have
to get back to basics that we always have and always will, collaborate and cooperate
with those state and federal entities that partner with us to keep our community safe.
So what would in your mind cause human suffering as a result of immigration rules and laws?
I think when we talk about the next phase, you know, what we're seeing happen now with
this focus on those criminal elements in our country, again, I commend it.
I'm grateful for it, because that is an essence keeping our community safe.
But it's when we get to this next phase, when we start talking about those individuals,
these families, they're here.
How do we treat them?
And I think you're referring to an article I wrote where we have to make sure that we
don't put everything into one group, that we treat those here for whatever reason that
they're here, but they're raising their children, working jobs, really trying to be contributing
members of our society.
I cannot imagine the reality we treat them the same as the criminal elements.
So that's where I make a separation in how we process it.
And I hope that we as a country, I think we are.
I think we're smart enough.
I think we have the capability to separate this out and do the right thing when it comes
to the families, to the men and women there to hear, honestly, trying to make this country
a better place.
So have you seen ICE in your community removing law-abiding if unauthorized Democrats?
Over the decades again, this is nothing new over the decades, especially with the onset
of our large agricultural farms.
We have had ICE in our community.
We have not taken active role in their operations.
There's always a courtesy where they make us aware of their presence, when they are
engaged in their operations.
But all these years, it's just been a matter of awareness, situational awareness, and support
in the event that they would need us.
Now, I read that your officers do not ask for the status of people pulled over in a traffic
stop or report people in the community without legal authorization to be in the US to ICE.
Why not?
Because at this point, there's really no purpose to it.
I don't know where that information would be relevant.
Again, it's not our role to enforce immigration laws.
Now, mind you, when we do have somebody, whether it's on a traffic stop or if they're involved
in a complaint, no different than anyone else in the community, we, of course, we do collect
names and information as any good law enforcement agency would.
But as far as specifically asking for a targeting, that population, again, there's really no
merit to it.
Have you gotten any response to your persuasion position on this from other law enforcement
across the state?
I think that, overall, I would think that law enforcement are very like-minded.
Again, our priority is keeping our community safe.
But we also understand the need for compassion, for humanity, to look at this at a deeper
sense and not just take everything as sort of a one-size-fits-all approach.
So I do think there's a commonality across the state.
I've abdicated also, however, without success for the creation of a driver's card program
in the state of Wisconsin.
Why is that?
So that was over a decade ago, and it was a moment in time where the climate, I think,
had lent itself to maybe that conversation.
But unfortunately, just as in today's conversations, it automatically goes to a sense of entitlement
or what is that granting them.
And I think from our perspective, over a decade ago, it was about public safety, a mechanism
by which folks could be trained to drive and making sure that they have the correct
requirements, as you and I do, to operate on our roads, the ability to have auto insurance,
so even when they're involved in auto accidents.
And then actually, additional criteria could have been placed on it in regards to their
obligation in pursuing citizenship.
Now, had that been done over a decade ago, we might be looking at an entirely different
landscape here in the state of Wisconsin.
But again, unfortunately, a lot of times, emotion and fear takes the day and it never
went anywhere.
We don't envision in today's climate that that would ever be something that we could
resurrect.
All right.
Well, Sheriff Matt Jasky from Kewani County, we really appreciate your time today.
Thank you.
Thank you.
You are great, sir.
Thank you.
How long have you been, Sharon?
Oh, I'm in my fifth term.
So I've been, Sheriff, I'm in my 18th year law enforcement, gosh, it's got like 32 years.
So yeah, I've been doing this for a bit.
Yeah.
Were you, did you always serve in Kewani County or were you elsewhere?
I started my career actually in the city to rivers and then came back to the city of
Kewani and then literally went from a back shift officer to being the sheriff, ran for
office in 2006.
I got elected.
I literally went from New Year's Eve working in night shift to New Year's Day becoming
the sheriff.
I've had a lot of interesting stories and learning experiences along the way.
Great.
I bet.
Well, thank you.
It was really nice to meet with you.
Oh, it was wonderful.
Let me know if I can ever help in the future.
Thank you, sir.
Okay.
Bye.
Take care.