Gwen Moore Speaks Out Against Profiling at Courthouses, Sends Letter to U.S. Department of Homeland Security

Press Release

Today Congresswoman Gwen Moore (WI-4) sent a letter to U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson urging him to address the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) practice of targeting immigrants at courthouses. The letter was signed by 59 Members of Congress, including Congresswoman Moore.

"Today my colleagues and I sent a strong message that people accessing our courthouses should be safe from profiling, fear, and intimidation," said Rep. Moore. "By targeting courthouses, ICE is exacerbating the culture of fear in our immigrant communities and undermining public safety. Like schools, hospitals, and places of worship, courthouses should be protected from immigration profiling tactics. I am proud that my colleagues stood with me to promote open access to our court system."

Congresswoman Moore worked closely with Milwaukee's Voces De La Frontera and the American Civil Liberties Union to gain a full understanding of the immigration enforcement activities occurring at courthouses and the seriousness of the situation.

"This practice is a national disgrace," said Christine Neumann-Ortiz, executive director of Voces de la Frontera. "ICE's outrageous recent decision to not just continue but actually institutionalize raids in courthouses, should be condemned far and wide. We commend Congresswoman Moore for leading on this, and thank all of the House members who signed the letter."

"America's courthouses must be open, accessible, and safe for all people, regardless of their immigration status," said Joanne Lin, a legislative counsel for the American Civil Liberties Union. "The constitutional promise of equal justice under the law cannot be fulfilled if a segment of our populace fears that accessing court services and seeking legal redress will result in their detention and deportation."

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