MONROE - Local law enforcement already has a policy not to ask about immigration status.
In November the Milwaukee Police Department adopted a policy that prohibits officers from asking immigration questions or alerting federal authorities to suspected illegal immigrants.
A Milwaukee-based group, Voces de la Frontera, asked police departments in the Milwaukee area to take a hands-off approach to searching for illegal immigrants after police raided a factory in Whitewater and discovered 25 illegal immigrants from Mexico.
Monroe Police Chief Fred Kelley and Lafayette County Sheriff Scott Pedley said their departments have already established a policy to handle that issue.
"We have a policy against racial profiling," Pedley said.
Kelley said his department prohibits profiling based on race, ethnicity and sexual orientation.
Both said the only time the issue would come up is if there is a cause to need to ask the question.
"If their immigration status makes them 'wanted,' then we would detain them," Kelley said.
During routine activities, such as a traffic stop, police check a person's name, birth date and other information to see if they're wanted, he added.
"Checking to see if someone is wanted for a warrant is a standard procedure," he said.
Kelley said it isn't the mission of the police department to go around and search for people who might be in the country illegally. If federal authorities ask the department to help in an apprehension of a person who is in the country illegally and has a warrant, the officers will do that.
If a crime is serious enough, Kelley and Pedley said, they will contact federal authorities. A person's resident status would be investigated in the case of a violent crime, but not for something such as a traffic violation, Kelley said.
Green County Sheriff Randy Roderick said his department would contact federal authorities if a serious a crime is committed and there is reason to believe the person is in the country illegally. Roderick said what happens to the person is determined by the federal authorities.
Illegal immigration is a matter for the Department of Homeland Security, Kelley said.
"It's not our mission to enforce immigration laws," Kelley said. "We're busy doing other things."
In November the Milwaukee Police Department adopted a policy that prohibits officers from asking immigration questions or alerting federal authorities to suspected illegal immigrants.
A Milwaukee-based group, Voces de la Frontera, asked police departments in the Milwaukee area to take a hands-off approach to searching for illegal immigrants after police raided a factory in Whitewater and discovered 25 illegal immigrants from Mexico.
Monroe Police Chief Fred Kelley and Lafayette County Sheriff Scott Pedley said their departments have already established a policy to handle that issue.
"We have a policy against racial profiling," Pedley said.
Kelley said his department prohibits profiling based on race, ethnicity and sexual orientation.
Both said the only time the issue would come up is if there is a cause to need to ask the question.
"If their immigration status makes them 'wanted,' then we would detain them," Kelley said.
During routine activities, such as a traffic stop, police check a person's name, birth date and other information to see if they're wanted, he added.
"Checking to see if someone is wanted for a warrant is a standard procedure," he said.
Kelley said it isn't the mission of the police department to go around and search for people who might be in the country illegally. If federal authorities ask the department to help in an apprehension of a person who is in the country illegally and has a warrant, the officers will do that.
If a crime is serious enough, Kelley and Pedley said, they will contact federal authorities. A person's resident status would be investigated in the case of a violent crime, but not for something such as a traffic violation, Kelley said.
Green County Sheriff Randy Roderick said his department would contact federal authorities if a serious a crime is committed and there is reason to believe the person is in the country illegally. Roderick said what happens to the person is determined by the federal authorities.
Illegal immigration is a matter for the Department of Homeland Security, Kelley said.
"It's not our mission to enforce immigration laws," Kelley said. "We're busy doing other things."