Janeth and Lizeth Zorrilla are originally from Mexico, but have lived in the U.S. since they were children. In 2017, they opened La Finca Coffee House in a suburb of Milwaukee. The business is inspired by their Mexican heritage and even features coffee beans from their grandfather’s farm in Oaxaca. In 2024, WUWM asked them to share their story as immigrant entrepreneurs.

Her father was in critical condition in a hospital in Mexico, after a tragic motorcycle accident. But as an immigrant and DACA recipient, she was concerned about traveling to see him. We talk to one woman who is watching how ICE in airports could affect people like her. And, an immigration attorney shares the air travel advice she’s giving her clients.

A recent piece in Milwaukee Magazine digs into how life has changed for immigrants in the Milwaukee area, amid the federal immigration crackdown. It shares the stories of DACA recipients, undocumented parents, asylum seekers and more as they navigate legal hoops to build lives, families and careers in the U.S.

In February, the Trump administration announced the end of its immigration crackdown in the Twin Cities. But some ICE operations there continue, and the surge of ICE agents also spilled over into western Wisconsin.

ProPublica reporters have been looking into the living conditions inside the Dilley detention center in Texas, where immigrant families and children are held.

Throughout U.S. and Wisconsin history, the idea of who gets to be a citizen has changed. At times, it’s been broad and welcoming. And other times, it’s been more restricted. 

Read the full story at wuwm.com/makingwisconsin.

2025 marked the 50th anniversary of Hmong refugees resettling in the U.S., but what drove many out of Laos? And how have they made a home in Wisconsin, which is home to the third largest Hmong population in the country? 

Read the full story at wuwm.com/makingwisconsin.

Throughout our local and national history, there have been waves of sanctuary movements stemming from religious organizations, activists and legislation. Sergio González, Marquette University assistant professor of history and author, explores sanctuary and how it shaped our history and politics today. 

Read the full story at wuwm.com/makingwisconsin.

Waves of immigration to Milwaukee have made our home a multicultural and vibrant city. But it hasn't always been a warm welcome. Here's a rundown of immigration to Milwaukee and Wisconsin. 

Read the full story at wuwm.com/makingwisconsin.

Over the next four weeks, the Status Pending team is going to share a series we did last spring, called “Making Wisconsin.” It’s about how immigration has shaped our city, state and country. It provides some really helpful context for this moment. Stay tuned as WUWM continues to bring you conversations and stories about immigration.