The article centers around Charles Cross Jr., a former Milwaukee Police Department sergeant fired for drunk driving and other misconduct, and Andry Hernandez, a Venezuelan makeup artist wrongly deported to El Salvador.
Cross, now employed by CoreCivic, an immigration detention center operator, signed a report falsely implicating Hernandez as affiliated with a Venezuelan gang, leading to his deportation. Hernandez denies any gang affiliation and sought asylum in the US due to persecution as a gay man.
Cross's history includes:
The article criticizes the use of contract workers like Cross to make deportation decisions, raising questions about legality and effectiveness. It highlights Milwaukee's long history of police misconduct and the failure of reform efforts.