Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers didn’t back down on Friday after President Donald Trump’s top border adviser suggested he could be arrested over a memo guiding state employees on how to handle encounters with federal immigration agents.
“I’m not afraid,” Evers declared in a powerful video posted on YouTube. “I’ve never once been discouraged from doing the right thing and I will not start today.” (See it below.)
The controversy began when Evers’ administration issued guidance last month in response to state workers seeking advice on what to do if U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents showed up at their offices. The memo urged workers to contact a lawyer immediately and, if an attorney wasn’t available, to ask ICE officers to return. It also advised against handing over documents or allowing access to computers without consulting the agency’s lawyer first and instructed workers not to answer questions from immigration agents.
Republican critics immediately accused Evers of instructing state employees to refuse cooperation with ICE. But Evers shot down those claims, saying the goal was simply to provide “clear, consistent instructions” to ensure workers have legal support to comply with the law.
“They’re lying about what this is,” Evers said. “This is about giving our state workers the right advice so they don’t get caught in a situation that might put them in jeopardy. I haven’t broken the law. I haven’t committed a crime and I’ve never encouraged or directed anyone to break any laws or commit any crimes.”
The controversy took a sharper turn when Tom Homan, Trump’s top border adviser, responded to the memo. Speaking to reporters outside the White House on Thursday, Homan warned, “Wait to see what’s coming” when asked about the guidance. He added, “You cannot support what we’re doing, and you can support sanctuary cities if that’s what you want to do, but if you cross that line to impediment or knowingly harboring and concealing an illegal alien, that’s a felony and we’re treating it as such.”
Some Republicans embraced the possibility of Evers being arrested. Wisconsin state Rep. Calvin Callahan even posted a fake image online showing Trump in a police uniform behind a handcuffed Evers outside the state Capitol.
This back-and-forth follows a recent incident where Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Hannah Dugan was arrested on felony charges for allegedly helping a man evade immigration authorities. She is accused of escorting the man and his attorney out of her courtroom after learning federal agents were seeking his arrest.
Watch Evers’s video below:
