Milwaukee’s 9th Aldermanic District is at the center of a heated debate over the proposed relocation of an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) processing facility. ICE plans to move its operations to 11925 W. Lake Park Drive on the city’s far northwest side, prompting Alderwoman Larresa Taylor and other progressive-aligned leaders to issue a strong public condemnation in a press conference outside of the proposed facility. Taylor criticized the lack of community input and expressed opposition to proposed prison-like modifications to the building, which include a sally port and chain-link fencing.
The ICE facility would process individuals for detention or transport, as well as serve as a southeastern Wisconsin office for immigration officers. While ICE currently operates from a downtown location, the move is necessitated by the sale of that building to Milwaukee School of Engineering for academic use. The planned modifications to the new location have raised concerns among local officials and residents, who fear it could negatively impact the district.
Taylor described the plans as a continuation of a troubling pattern of imposing detention facilities on the 9th District. She compared this situation to the state Department of Corrections’ establishment of a youth detention facility in the area, which also occurred without local representation. “Milwaukee’s 9th Aldermanic District will no longer be Wisconsin’s dumping ground for detention facilities,” Taylor declared, calling for community resistance.
City records show that plans for the relocation have been underway since 2023. The one-story, 36,000-square-foot building was purchased by a developer specializing in leasing to federal agencies, and zoning changes for the site were proposed as early as April 2023. However, it remains unclear whether the new plans will require additional approvals from the Common Council or the Board of Zoning Appeals.
This local controversy unfolds as President-elect Trump is set to take office in a few days and against the backdrop of increased attention to what Trump his border-czar Tom Homan has in plans to secure the border and deport illegal immigrants. Trump has promised sweeping executive orders targeting illegal immigrants who have committed crimes- on day one.