GREEN BAY, Wis. (SPECTRUM NEWS) — Two Green Bay area state legislators announced Wednesday the proposal of a new law that would allow “Dreamers” to serve as police officers and sheriff’s deputies in Wisconsin.
Rep. John Macco, R-Ledgeview, and Rep. David Steffen, R-Howard, hope to change the current law that prohibits municipal police agencies and sheriff’s offices in Wisconsin from hiring non-U.S. citizens to serve as law enforcement officers.
“These individuals have the opportunity to fully serve in the Wisconsin State Patrol, they have the full opportunity to serve in the United States military, but sadly they’re unable to serve us in our own police force,” Steffen said. “That’s why we’re here today, to ensure these individuals have that opportunity going forward.”
Non-U.S. citizens can serve with the Wisconsin State Patrol because the agency operates as an arm of the Wisconsin Department of Transportation, not the state Department of Justice, which regulates police agencies and sheriff’s offices.
“This is an opportunity not from right or left, from Republican or Democrat, this is an opportunity of right and wrong,” Green Bay Police Chief Andrew Smith said. “This is an opportunity to fix something that’s not right here in Wisconsin, make it right, and let us move forward as a state and make us better.”
Smith had ignited the effort to change the law because of a young man he wants patrolling the streets who isn’t a U.S. citizen.
Jose Del Rio grew up in Green Bay, but he wasn’t born there. He was born in Mexico. Del Rio’s parents brought him to Green Bay when he was two-years-old. Green Bay is the only place he’s known as home.
“Sometimes that road’s not open, so you have to find a way, you have to find a different route to find that open road,” Del Rio said about the obstacle he faces to live his dream.
He’s wanted to serve as a Green Bay Police officer for years now. He’s been part of the department’s explorers program, and become a member of the department family over the last five years, according to Chief Smith.
While Del Rio is not a citizen, he remains in the country and is authorized to work in the U.S. under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.
The bill proposal would change the wording in the state law allowing police agencies and counties to hire DACA recipients if they want. Macco and Steffen said the bill would not mandate all jurisdictions do so.
“There are certain things that we can and cannot do when it relates to law enforcement,” said Macco. “This is one piece that we can do.”
Del Rio said, should this law pass, he’ll be able to finally live his dream. He’s encouraged the effort to change this law and has received bipartisan support.
“I’ve been through many obstacles in life so it’s amazing to have people from all sorts of different backgrounds to support this,” Del Rio said.
Macco said the measure still has to be discussed by lawmakers, be addressed through public comment, and make it through the state legislature before it could end up on Gov. Tony Evers’ desk for final approval. He said it’s hard to tell how long that process will take.