Eight undocumented immigrants arrested by ICE in Madison appear in court

On Thursday, eight individuals detained by ICE at two Madison businesses on Tuesday made an appearance in the Federal Courthouse in Sioux Falls.
Published: May 15, 2025 at 9:39 PM CDT
Email This Link
Share on Pinterest
Share on LinkedIn

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (Dakota News Now) - On Thursday, eight individuals detained by ICE at two Madison businesses on Tuesday made an appearance in the Federal Courthouse in Sioux Falls.

Further Reading: Madison mayor talks Tuesday’s ICE raid

The hearing included clarity on the government’s charges in the complaint and the next steps.

The detainees were brought into the courtroom four at a time in cuffs. Each defendant was read the charges and their rights in their separate criminal cases through headphones to hear a Spanish translator.

Work documentation led to the eventual ICE raids and arrests in Madison on Tuesday.

The government alleges each defendant between 2022 and 2024 used unlawful documents.

Seven allegedly used unlawful California IDs with the wrong names for the I-9 forms while one allegedly used a fraudulent visa, permit, or other document.

Their maximum sentences could be up to five years in prison followed by a supervised release or fines of up to $250,000.

However, if the government is able to prove they are non-citizens, they will be deported.

ICE said that five of the arrested men are from Nicaragua, two are from Guatemala, and one is from El Salvador.

US Magistrate Judge Veronica Duffy told the eight defendants that they could notify their home country about these legal proceedings if they were in the country illegally.

She also told the defendants to withhold from discussing the facts of their case in the Courtroom on Thursday so that they don’t incriminate themselves and so that they can meet with their court-appointed legal counsel.

The Government is required to share its evidence with the defendants before presenting it in court.

South Dakota Voices for Peace CEO Taneeza Islam observed the court proceedings and has met with seven of the eight defendants.

She believes the proceeding confirmed her suspicion that the Trump Administration is not going after just violent criminals.

“As far as we can tell, they have absolutely no criminal history. Some of them said, ‘I have never even gotten a parking ticket before.’ This narrative that we hear from the government that they are arresting and deporting violent criminals is absolutely false,” Islam claimed.

Islam continued, “I think it’s important to understand that in previous administrations, there were always ICE enforcement priorities and they were always violent offenders. It doesn’t seem like that’s a priority anymore. It’s very confusing and disheartening to see the direction that we’re going under this administration.”

Islam has concerns that the public doesn’t see the humanity in the situation the detainees and their families are in.

“It’s really easy to vilify and say they’re criminals because they broke the law if you don’t have a conversation with them. They’re dads, they’re sons, they’re friends, they’re neighbors. They were just going to work. It was just another day,” Islam said.

The seven undocumented immigrants also told Islam that there was no pathway for them to legally enter and work in the US.

She argued that creating a pathway for those who are working and not committing further crimes should be the administration’s focus instead of using taxpayer dollars to arrest and detain.

“There’s such a huge cost to all of this. What if we actually invested that cost into building lawful pathways to entering the country and lawful pathways to getting work permits? It seems like a win-win to me, but I don’t get to make those decisions,” Islam said.

Islam said with the concerns being raised about due process across the country, it was a positive step to see court proceedings for these eight undocumented immigrants.

“There’s still room for due process to not be followed and become a real issue of human rights and civil rights violations, however, I am thankful that there is a federal public defender involved and their rights were clearly defined,” Islam said.

The defendants are temporarily placed in custody of the US Marshal’s Service until their preliminary hearings.

The government believes the defendants are a risk of fleeing, citing multiple orders for removal by immigration judges and failure to make court appearances.

Judge Duffy said the preliminary hearing will happen within 14 days of Thursday’s appearance.

The defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty and South Dakota Voices for Peace said they will continue to provide resources and document these cases.