Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley directed county lobbyists to support legislation that would have created a standing pot of taxpayer money for immigration legal services available to people regardless of whether they are in the country legally, according to state lobbying records obtained exclusively by the Heartland Post.
2025 Assembly Bill 475, which was introduced by Democratic Socialist Rep. Ryan Clancy and co-sponsored by Crowley’s former Democratic primary rival Rep. Francesca Hong, would have required the Department of Administration to award grants to community-based organizations for civil legal aid in immigration matters.
The bill’s language specified that grant recipients must provide services “without regard to the client’s immigration status.” It would have established a continuing $300,000 appropriation of state tax dollars. Organizations such as Voces de la Frontera were among the types of groups that could have received the funds.
Milwaukee County registered in support of the bill and reported more than $210,000 in lobbying expenditures during the 2025-26 legislative session. AB 475 did not advance in the Republican-controlled Wisconsin Legislature.
County lobbyists also registered in favor of several other immigration-related measures. Those included Assembly Bill 57, co-authored by Hong, which would have barred state and local officials (including law enforcement) from helping detain people solely on immigration status at designated “sensitive locations” such as churches, hospitals, and schools.
The county also supported Assembly Bill 441, legislation that would have prohibited ICE agents from concealing their faces during arrests or operations. In addition, it lobbied in favor of Assembly Bill 444, which would have banned state agencies and local governments, including sheriff’s departments, from using their facilities to detain people on the basis of immigration status.
Milwaukee County further supported Assembly Bill 739, a Hong-authored proposal that would have ended 287(g) agreements and restricted local law enforcement from assisting ICE in detentions. None of the legislation advanced, as Republicans who control the Legislature blocked each measure from receiving a vote in the full Assembly.
Crowley, the Democratic nominee for governor, has previously said he would not partner with ICE and has described himself as an “accomplice” rather than merely an ally of immigrant communities.
“When it comes down to immigrants,” he recently told supporters, “I always say ‘I’m not an ally; I’m an accomplice.’”
Crowley has long been a staunch supporter of increased benefits for illegal immigrants throughout his political career. He has pushed for drivers licenses for illegal immigrants, co-authored legislation providing illegals with in-state subsidized college tuition, and has repeatedly called for abolishing ICE.
As Milwaukee County Executive, Crowley has used his social media platform to provide instructions to the public on how to resist ICE and even promoted a community resource hub that provides legal aid to illegal aliens who broke the law.
His office has not yet responded to a request for comment on its lobbying efforts.
