Whitewater became the center of a political firestorm. What residents think about the influx of immigrants

Jorge Islas-Martinez has dedicated much of his adult life to helping new immigrants find their way in Wisconsin.

He goes out of his way to help newcomers to Whitewater, said his brother, grocery store owner Luis Islas. He takes emergency calls at 10 p.m. from migrants who have been stopped by police, and drives others to Chicago for immigration court hearings.

"Mother Teresa of Calcutta — that`s my brother in Whitewater," Islas said this week from his shop and taco restaurant, Tienda y Taqueria La Preferida, on the city`s Main Street.

So as the political debate over an influx of about 800 to 1,000 new migrants to Whitewater continues to roil, longtime advocate Islas-Martinez finds himself incredulous at the tenor of the discussion. He`s frustrated about rhetoric that he believes doesn`t acknowledge migrants` humanity and divides the community...