Small Wisconsin city begs Biden for help with 1,000 illegal immigrants putting ‘great strain’ on resources

With a population of less than 15,000, Whitewater has struggled to provide resources for the nearly 1,000 illegal immigrants who have arrived since 2022.

"Each individual has a different reason for coming here," Police Chief Daniel Meyer and City Manager John Weidl wrote in a letter to the president on December 28, according to TMJ4. "Regardless of the individual situations, these people need resources like anyone else, and their arrival has put great strain on our existing resources."

The pair explained that the unprecedented influx of illegal immigrants has led to a demographic change that has, in turn, created "major challenges" for law enforcement.

Police have recorded a threefold increase in unlicensed drivers on local roads over previous years, dirty and cramped living quarters, and a growing number of sexual assaults involving minors.

As if that wasn't enough, the department has also had to deal with challenges related to "an immigrant population that generally speaks only Spanish," which it has tried to overcome via the use of "costly translation software."

"None of this information is shared as a means of denigrating or vilifying this group of people," the pair wrote, noting that "we see great value in the increasing diversity that this group brings to our community."

"With that said," they added, "we are in dire need of additional resources."

The pair called on the federal government to help with additional staffing in the police department, and resources to fund initiatives that would improve quality of life for the illegal immigrants, such as rideshare programs, affordable housing, and language courses.

On January 8 Meyer and Weidl received a reply from Wisconsin Rep. Bryan Steil, who expressed his support for Whitewater, and vowed to help ensure Biden provided the aid requested.