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Twin Town High (vol. 8) |
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City Council Member Gary Schiff Responds to Raid
Thursday 24 May @ 15:10:40 |
 
by DENNIS GEISINGER
“It’s outrageous,” said 9th Ward Minneapolis Council Member Gary Schiff yesterday (May 23) about raids conducted in his South Minneapolis ward last Saturday. “I can’t believe anyone could be that stupid,” he said.
“The point is,” said Schiff, “this terrible crime of sex trafficking going on in our community is being overshadowed by the clumsy actions of ICE and BCA agents,” he said.
Schiff’s comments were pointed at agents from the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) who gathered in the parking lot of a local Lutheran church as a prerequisite to the morning raids.
“I have to believe that this was done intentionally,” said Schiff, “Not only as a cultural insult, but as an insult to the sanctity of the church as well.” He confirmed reports that the agents would not leave at the request of the church pastor.
“Minneapolis police were not notified of any activity until they were called by the BCA at 9 o’clock on Saturday morning,” continued Schiff. The call was to inform local authorities that arrest warrants were about to be carried out, Schiff said.
“BCA agents called back about 10:30 requesting help with crowd control,” said Schiff. Groups of people had begun forming at the intersection of Bloomington and Lake after agents started pursuing “Latin-looking people on the sidewalk … ask[ing] for their IDs,” according to witnesses.
“The BCA and ICE brought this upon themselves,” said Schiff, asserting that pictures and video that he had reviewed showed no improper conduct by members of the Minneapolis police. “I believe Minneapolis policy was properly followed,” he said.
Minneapolis police representative Lieutenant Amelia Huffman has released a statement saying, “Minneapolis officers do not enforce immigration policy.”
Schiff had introduced an ordinance passed by the Minneapolis City Council in 2003 that says, in part, “the city does not operate its programs for the purpose of enforcing federal immigration laws,” forbidding city police from questioning or detaining people for alleged immigration violations.
“If people have proof of Minneapolis police escorting people we want to know,” said Schiff, encouraging witnesses to come forward with evidence. The Minneapolis City Council can be reached at 612-673-2200.
Eighteen people were arraigned in federal court yesterday on charges of prostitution and human trafficking as a result of the raid.
At a press conference held Monday, ICE spokesman Tim Counts told reporters that five additional people who did not have apparent connections to the prostitution ring were arrested for alleged immigration violations.
According to Schiff, Minneapolis Police Chief Tim Dolan has already met with local clergy, offering apologies for Saturday’s actions by BCA and ICE and reiterating for them, city policy.
Archbishop Harry Flynn and other Catholic bishops have released a statement through church media saying that they were “distressed and disheartened” by the law enforcement efforts that targeted illegal immigrants in earlier raids conducted outstate.
The bishops said that raids that occurred earlier in Worthington “undermined progress that the city had made toward bridging racial and cultural differences."
In their statement the bishops call for “establishment of legal pathways for migrants to come and work in a safe, humane and orderly manner” and “restoration of due process protections for immigrants.”
City officials scheduled a meeting for yesterday afternoon to assure leaders in the Latino community that “city policy still stands,” according to Schiff.
“I’m going to be sending letters to the BCA and ICE asking for a formal apology,” he said.
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