MADISON, Wis. — Dane County Sheriff Kalvin Barrett has withdrawn from the State Criminal Alien Assistance Program (SCAAP) after community concerns, according to a statement.

What You Need To Know

  • Dane County Sheriff Kalvin Barrett has withdrawn from the State Criminal Alien Assistance Program (SCAAP) after community concerns

  • SCAAP provides partial reimbursements to state and municipal governments for costs associated with incarcerating undocumented immigrants who have a felony or two misdemeanor convictions, and are incarcerated “at least 4 consecutive days during the reporting period"

  • Barrett’s decision comes in the context of sweeping immigration orders by the Trump administration

  • Communities across Wisconsin are expressing concern regarding these policies and potential Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids

SCAAP provides partial reimbursements to state and municipal governments for costs associated with incarcerating undocumented immigrants who have a felony or two misdemeanor convictions and are incarcerated “at least 4 consecutive days during the reporting period.”

“After listening to concerns from our community and considering the actions taken by the new administration, I have decided to cease our involvement with the State Criminal Alien Assistance Program (SCAAP),” Barrett said. “While the information compiled for these grant dollars was historical and posed little concern amongst our diverse community in the past, times have changed, and we must adapt accordingly. Additionally, the process of compiling data for this grant required significant staff time. Moving forward, those resources will be redirected toward more impactful initiatives in our jail, such as re-entry coordination and rehabilitation programming, which better serve our mission of public safety and community well-being.”

Barrett’s decision comes in the context of sweeping immigration orders by President Donald Trump's administration. Trump ordered Guantanamo Bay on Wednesday to be used to detain 30,000 immigrants.

He also introduced an order that would ban “birthright citizenship" or the right to citizenship for any child born in the U.S., regardless of their parents’ immigration status. Many of these policies are drawing legal challenges, however.

Trump has called the immigration situation a “grave threat to our nation.”

Communities across Wisconsin are expressing concern regarding these policies and potential Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids. Some have been hosting “Know Your Rights” workshops to further educate people.

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Wisconsin said it was glad to hear of the withdrawal from SCAAP.

“We are glad that Dane County has joined the other Wisconsin counties standing strong against this administration’s deportation machine,” said ACLU Senior Staff Attorney Tim Muth in a release. “Local law enforcement faces a choice: Refuse to cooperate with ICE, or be unnecessarily complicit in fearmongering and tearing apart families. We urge each department in Wisconsin to take seriously their charge of public safety and service to the community.”

Thirty counties in the Badger State and the Department of Corrections received over $2 million in funding from SCAAP, according to a 2022 study by ACLU of Wisconsin. Dane County collected more than $634,000 from 2016 to 2020 for participating in the program — making it the state’s biggest local sheriff beneficiary, the study found.

Related Stories