GREEN BAY, WI — State Representative Amaad Rivera-Wagner (D‑Green Bay) sent a formal letter to U.S. Senators Tammy Baldwin and Ron Johnson on Thursday, requesting a federal investigation into recent Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) actions that he says may have violated civil‑rights protections.

According to the letter, Wendy Mendez, an Oshkosh educator who was recently honored as an Employee of the Year, was deported despite questions about whether she received proper notice of her immigration hearing. In a separate incident, State Patrol Trooper Carel Aaron Van Der Merwe was detained while boarding a domestic flight, even though he holds a valid federal work authorization and has a pending asylum application. Trooper Van Der Merwe was later released under federal supervision.

Representative’s concerns

“When an award‑winning teacher can be deported and a Wisconsin State Trooper detained, something is deeply broken,” Rivera‑Wagner said. “These are people who educate our children and protect our communities. If even they aren’t spared from the chaos and cruelty of ICE, imagine the fear facing families without their resources or public attention.”

Rivera‑Wagner highlighted his prior legislative work aimed at expanding access to immigration legal services and strengthening law‑enforcement identification and accountability requirements. He indicated plans to reintroduce that legislation in the upcoming session.

Calls for policy changes

The representative also praised community groups such as Voces de la Frontera for educating residents about their rights and called for an end to Brown County’s 287(g) agreement, which allows local deputies to perform certain federal immigration‑enforcement functions.

“I have sat with Hmong families afraid of losing everything they’ve built and Latino neighbors worried they could disappear on the way to pick up their children,” Rivera‑Wagner continued. “We can enforce immigration laws, protect our borders, and keep our communities safe without abandoning our humanity or the Constitution.”

Senators’ response

The letter asks Senators Baldwin and Johnson to examine whether due‑process rights were denied in these cases and to consider stronger federal oversight of ICE operations. Both senators have previously expressed interest in immigration‑related oversight, though no official response has been released at the time of publication.

Rivera‑Wagner’s request adds to a growing chorus of Wisconsin officials and community leaders urging greater transparency and accountability from federal immigration agencies. The outcome of any Senate‑led investigation could shape how ICE conducts future detentions and removals within the state.

Original reporting: Appleton, WI News Feed (HLL/CB) — read the source article.