Rumors of an immigration crackdown spread rapidly throughout Madison Monday, creating widespread fear and uncertainty in the city's Hispanic community.
According to police, the rumors emerged sometime Sunday, causing many Hispanic families to keep their kids out of school Monday. Many Hispanic workers also elected not to report to their jobs for fear of arrest.
According to the rumors, immigration officials in vans rounded up and arrested undocumented Mexican immigrants, specifically targeting Latino employees. Some of the supposed raid locations included an area Wal-Mart; Copps, 2200 S. Park St.; Woodman's East, 711 S. Gammon Rd. and La Hacienda, 515 S. Park St.
However the Madison Police Department released a statement Monday stating that they had not assisted in any immigration raids by federal authorities.
In the release, Madison Police Chief Noble Wray said, Our policy clearly indicates that our department will not notify federal authorities of one's immigration status when dealing with local police matters.\
Madison Mayor Dave Cieslewicz also released a statement, written in both Spanish and English, denying all claims that city officials have begun a crackdown.
Pepe Villegas, a waiter at La Hacienda said the reports of immigration raids were simply a ""false alarm.""
Villegas said the rumors began approximately 8 p.m. Sunday night at the Mexican grocery store, Mercado Marimar, 2101 S. Park St.
""Somebody said immigration was at Mercado Marimar and so employees and customers buying things there ran out,"" Villegas said. ""Then that place called another Mexican place, El Pastor, 2010 S. Park St., telling them that immigration was there. They called La Hacienda to say immigration was coming to our place and to prevent [sic] all the employees.""
According to Villegas, La Hacienda employees reacted to the news with panic.
""All the employees were afraid this morning,"" Villegas said. ""They called to the boss and said, ‘We don't want to come to work this morning because we fear immigration will be there.'""
Kenneth Craig, assistant director of the Centro Hispano of Dane County, 810 W. Badger Rd., said he could not determine how the rumors began. Despite the Police Department's press release, Craig said many Madison Hispanics continue to be convinced of an immigration crackdown.
""We still have a lot of people coming in and saying that stuff was going on,"" Craig said. ""What we do know is that something happened last night. Whether it was rumors or people getting pulled over, we don't really know.""
According to Craig, who believed the incident was a hoax, many Hispanic workers did not go to their jobs Sunday and Monday because they were afraid to be separated from their children in the event of an immigration raid. Craig said the same reasoning helped explain the nearly 50 percent absenteeism of Hispanic students at Cherokee Middle School, 4301 Cherokee Dr.
Villegas said he expects the rumors to fade away soon, but added he could not be certain they would.
""I think—hope—that tomorrow will be a regular day,"" Villegas said.\
