County Fight
Active
Dane County WI — Madison Sanctuary Fight and DHS 'Sanctuary' Listing
Dane, WI
FIPS 55025
Current status: Madison and Dane County were placed on a DHS 'sanctuary jurisdictions' list in 2026 (later pulled from the DHS site); County Executive Melissa Agard disputed the listing. Madison Police issued a policy declining 287(g) agreements; Dane County Sheriff Kalvin Barrett ended SCAAP participation. DHS publicly pressured the county in May 2026 over a detainer. Dane is a non-cooperation county positioned opposite Waukesha and the 287(g) bloc.
The Fight
Dane County (Madison) is the principal non-cooperation county in Wisconsin, set against the state’s 287(g) bloc. In 2026 it became a target of federal pressure when DHS placed it on a public “sanctuary jurisdictions” list.
Key Details
- DHS ‘sanctuary’ listing (2026): The Trump administration placed Madison and Dane County on a list of “sanctuary jurisdictions,” which DHS later removed from its website. County Executive Melissa Agard disputed how the list was compiled and said the county’s attorneys do not believe it is out of compliance.
- Madison Police: issued an updated policy declining 287(g) agreements as inconsistent with its policing philosophy, and stated it will not enter operational agreements with DHS.
- Sheriff Kalvin Barrett: announced Dane County would stop participating in SCAAP (State Criminal Alien Assistance Program), which had shared immigration-related data with federal authorities.
- May 2026 DHS pressure: ICE/DHS publicly pressed Dane County officials over a detainer on Julio Cesar Morales Jarquin, a Nicaraguan national facing two counts of second-degree sexual assault of an elderly victim — a high-profile case DHS used to attack the county’s non-cooperation stance.
- Surveillance angle: reporting raised questions about whether ICE can access Flock camera data in the Madison area.
Why It Matters
Dane County is the policy counterweight to Waukesha and the 287(g) counties, and the DHS listing/de-listing makes it a live front in the federal-vs-local sanctuary fight. Its outcome (a ruling for the plaintiffs in the Voces detainer case would reinforce Dane’s posture statewide) is tied to the Wisconsin Supreme Court detainer litigation.
Sources
- If ICE came to Madison, what would local police do? — Cap Times
- Wisconsin counties concerned over DHS ‘sanctuary jurisdictions’ list — WPR
- ICE asks sanctuary Wisconsin politicians not to release illegal alien — DHS (May 6 2026)
- Does ICE have access to Madison-area Flock camera data? — Isthmus
- Dane County’s lucrative relationship with ICE — Tone Madison
This research is published at The RAMM — investigative reporting on the detention pipeline.