Immigration enforcement under Donald Trump's mass deportation plan has reached rural western Wisconsin, where federal agents have arrested dozens of people in small, predominantly white and conservative towns. In Baldwin, a town of about 4,000, residents estimate over 50 people were taken, peaking in January and February. The Mexican restaurant where multiple workers were arrested in February remains closed, while an Ecuadorian market has reopened with a sign instructing customers to ring before entering.
J, a Venezuelan who arrived in 2023, now stays indoors with his 18-month-old child after agents took his wife. 'The United States is the American dream, that's what they call it,' he said in Spanish. 'But no, it wasn't like that.' He asked to remain anonymous due to fear of enforcement. The arrests have spread from the Minneapolis area into towns like Baldwin, Hudson, and River Falls in St Croix County, where the immigrant population has grown in recent years.
Local mutual aid networks are delivering groceries and supplies to families who have lost members to deportation, and providing rides to those afraid of being stopped. Denise Flaherty, who assists immigrants, noted that while arrests have slowed in the past month, many remain on edge. Jenelle Ludwig Krause, organizer of the Safe Neighbors group, said: 'This is a super important fight. I care very deeply about what happens in Baldwin and what kind of community I'm part of.'
Megan Timmerman, a lifelong Baldwin resident, described feeling helpless as agents targeted mobile homes, apartment buildings, and ethnic businesses. 'I feel like I could look out my window and see something happening all the time,' she said. The Department of Homeland Security did not explain why Baldwin was heavily targeted or whether operations continue in western Wisconsin.
