KENOSHA, Wis. — Sheriff David Zoerner has again refused to answer direct questions from Kenosha County Eye, choosing instead to distribute a polished press release to the Kenosha News and other media outlets — including Kenosha County Eye. By doing so, he ensured that his scripted message would circulate widely while avoiding any real scrutiny or follow-up questions. The Kenosha News is expected to run the release with little investigation, allowing Zoerner to shape the narrative through a liberal-run newspaper rather than engage with tougher questioning from this outlet.

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Last week’s large-scale federal human-smuggling and fake-document operation resulted in twenty arrests in Kenosha and Illinois. When KCE sent Zoerner several direct questions — including why both his office and the Kenosha Police Department were excluded — he ignored them. Days later, he released a written statement to multiple outlets, attempting to frame the situation without answering a single question we asked.

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In that statement, Zoerner attributed the lack of local participation to federal concerns about confidentiality and preventing leaks. By doing so, he effectively acknowledged what multiple insiders have been saying for months: that federal agencies no longer trust the Sheriff’s Office enough to notify them ahead of major operations. Even then, Zoerner still refused to address KCE’s questions about his ongoing refusal to cooperate with ICE under 287(g) and his refusal to honor ICE detainers, a central source of public controversy he has consistently avoided.

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This is not the first time he has done this. As documented in KCE’s September 5, 2025 story, when Zoerner faced questions about refusing ICE cooperation, he sidestepped KCE entirely and pushed out a press release to the Kenosha News and other media outlets — the first instance of this now-repeated strategy.

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In his newest release, Zoerner also referred to “reckless and inaccurate claims” about ICE supposedly entering local businesses and removing people. He was referencing Facebook rumors, not anything related to KCE’s reporting. We have no idea which posts he was referring to, and his vague warning reads as defensive and reactive, especially given his refusal to answer direct questions before issuing the release.

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Sources inside the Sheriff’s Department tell KCE that Zoerner has been feeling increasingly defeated. Conservative support that once buoyed him — both in the community and among his own deputies — has eroded significantly. Several deputies who originally supported him now privately say they no longer trust his judgment and believe he is making political decisions rather than prioritizing transparency or public safety.

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Because the sheriff has repeatedly abused the courtesy deadlines previously offered by KCE — ignoring questions and then issuing his own carefully crafted press releases — KCE is implementing a new policy effective immediately. We will continue to request his comments on all matters of public concern, but we will no longer delay publication while waiting for him to respond. If he chooses to comment, his remarks will be added after publication.

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KCE will continue to follow developments surrounding last week’s federal operation, the sheriff’s conduct, and his ongoing refusal to answer direct questions about ICE cooperation and public safety in Kenosha County.

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