MILWAUKEE — The shooting that killed Alex Pretti in Minneapolis has sparked a new round of fears and rumors about ICE’s presence in Milwaukee.
The latest false rumor spreading across social media claims ICE agents booked about 100 rooms at a Milwaukee hotel. An immigrant rights group says it quickly debunked that claim — as they have with countless others.
"So I just got word that ICE made it here to Wisconsin," one social media post reads. "They booked around 100 rooms for them."
Christina Newman-Ortiz has read dozens of unverified and untrue posts about local ICE raids circulating on social media. She knows they stoke fear among Milwaukee's immigrant community.
Watch: Milwaukee immigrant rights group warns about false ICE rumors spreading on social media
"They want to know if something is happening in a certain part of town, if that's an area they should be avoiding," Newman-Ortiz said. "If it's near a school, should they not be dropping off their kids at school, should they not be going to work?"
Newman-Ortiz is the executive director of Voces de la Frontera, an immigrant rights advocacy group pushing back against misinformation about local ICE activity.
"Whether you're doing this for money or a prank — that you really need to stop and reflect on what's happening in our country right now," Newman-Ortiz said. "It's irresponsible, and we all have a stake in our future."
Michael Mirer is a communication studies professor at UW-Milwaukee who teaches media literacy.
"The internet is maybe the greatest rumor dispersal device we've ever created as a human species," Mirer said.
Mirer said people should verify information before sharing it.
"The question that people should ask themselves is, ' How can I confirm this?" Mirer said. "If you hear something and type it into a search engine and a news story does not pop up, that's a good sign that it's not necessarily confirmed information."
Part of Voces de la Frontera's mission is to monitor ICE activity through a statewide hotline for alleged ICE sightings. The organization has 2,000 volunteers trained to verify whether ICE is truly where tipsters report.
"It really is a rapid response. The first step is really is it true?" Newman-Ortiz said.
Newman-Ortiz said they get about 300 calls a day, but that has spiked to 800 a day after the ICE shooting in Minneapolis last weekend.
When asked what percentage of those tips are actually factual, Newman-Ortiz said, "a smaller percentage, a very smaller percentage."
"I think the best way we can challenge misinformation is to work together to unintentionally not spread it and to understand the network that is being built here in Wisconsin and to support being a part of that network to ensure that information is accurate," Newman-Ortiz said.
It is important to note that there is normal ICE activity and deportations taking place in Milwaukee, as there has been for years. However, Milwaukee has not seen a surge in agents to the area. TMJ4 reached out to ICE for an update on its plans for Milwaukee, but has yet to hear back.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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