(The Center Square) – Wisconsin’s governor says he won’t send National Guard troops to help deport illegal immigrants under President-elect Donald Trump’s proposed plan.
Gov. Tony Evers told reporters in Madison he doesn’t support the president-elect’s plan to deport people in the country illegally.
“As far as taking people from farms and factories in this state, [people] that are the backbone of this state, that is not going to work for us,” Evers said.
The governor said he doesn’t think the Trump administration will get that far, so he doesn’t want to prejudge.
Evers did say he can guarantee the Wisconsin National Guard won’t be used in any deportation enforcement.
And Evers called comments from Trump’s to-be border czar about arresting local leaders who don’t agree to help in deportations “stupid talk.”
“Making threats like that is irrational. Let’s calm down. Let’s pass a bill that people can support. Then let’s talk about whether we have to stop people at the border,” Evers added.
The governor said that bill should fix the country’s immigration system.
“Let’s solve this,” Evers said. “Taking people away from their farm work, or someplace else where they are working if they are undocumented and sending them back, and then saying ‘Okay, let’s make some changes in the law.’ We need to make changes to federal law first.”
Evers repeatedly said he thinks of Wisconsin’s farms when he hears Trump talk about immigration.
“All I know is that our ag industry, and dairy in particular, and many of our manufacturers count on that labor. And if they decide that they are going to start shipping people back, we’re going to do everything we can to prevent that from happening.”
Trump has said he intends to start deporting illegal immigrants on his first day in January.