Immigration agents have spread into rural western Wisconsin, taking dozens of people from towns in more politically conservative areas, shattering the relative quiet of small communities. In Baldwin, a town of about 4,000 people, residents estimate more than 50 people were taken by federal agents, peaking in January and February. Other larger towns in St Croix county, such as Hudson and River Falls, have also seen immigrants arrested.
The Mexican restaurant where multiple workers were taken in February remains closed, across from a travel plaza where arrests also occurred. An Ecuadorian market in a nearby town has reopened with a sign instructing customers to ring the bell before entering. J, a Venezuelan who came to the US in 2023, stays inside after agents took his wife; he fears being taken himself and must care for their 18-month-old child. “The United States is the American dream, that’s what they call it,” he said in Spanish. “But no, it wasn’t like that.”
Baldwin is over 95% white and leans Republican, but its immigrant population has grown in recent years. While deportations have slowed in recent weeks, many remain on edge and stay home. Mutual aid networks deliver groceries and supplies to families who have lost members, or provide rides to those who fear being pulled over. Residents seek transparency from local officials and police, whom they believe cooperated with immigration agents.
“This is a super important fight,” said Jenelle Ludwig Krause, organising with a newly formed group called Safe Neighbors. “I care very deeply about what happens in Baldwin and what kind of community I’m part of. I also feel like what has happened in Baldwin is happening in a lot of other towns and is about to happen in thousands and thousands of more towns, and we just have to find pathways to protect ourselves and take care of each other.”
Stories of specific apprehensions began around Thanksgiving, escalating in December and again as agents moved further from the Twin Cities. Agents targeted mobile homes, apartment buildings, ethnic restaurants, grocery stores, and roads used by commuters. The Department of Homeland Security did not address why Baldwin was heavily targeted or whether operations continue in western Wisconsin.
