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Twin Town High (vol. 8) |
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Minneapolis police versus ICE: jurisdictional questions linger
Wednesday 23 May @ 15:09:13 |
 by DENNIS GEISINGER
Last Saturday’s South Minneapolis raid conducted by Minneapolis police in cooperation with federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has called into question the City’s commitment to enforcing its own policy. Nineteen men and six women were arraigned in federal court today (May 23) on charges of prostitution and human trafficking as a result of the raid.
“We have video in our possession that shows a Minneapolis police officer escorting the prisoners to ICE vehicles,” said Alberto Monserrate, President and CEO of Latino Communications Network. Witnesses at the raid said that Minneapolis police and ICE agents could be seen conferring, chasing people and apparently working closely together, according to an immigrant-advocate community raid response committee.
“On Saturday morning, the Minneapolis Police Department’s assistance was requested by agents with the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA),” said Police Lieutenant Amelia Huffman. “The BCA was pursuing a criminal investigation assisted by federal law enforcement,
including ICE [and] asked for the MPD’s assistance in securing the scene where agents were executing warrants. This kind of request is very common when outside law enforcement agents enter the MPD’s jurisdiction to pursue a criminal investigation,” she said.
“Minneapolis officers do not enforce immigration policy,” Huffman said.
A Kare 11 report appearing after the raid said that five people were arrested for immigration violations in addition to those arrested for human trafficking.
According to Minneapolis City Ordinance 19.10, “The city works cooperatively with the Homeland Security, as it does with all state and federal agencies, but the city does not operate its programs for the purpose of enforcing federal immigration laws.” The ordinance was passed in July 2003 largely in response to a Minnesota House Republican-sponsored bill requiring driver's license changes intended to track foreign visitors.
The Minneapolis ordinance further states that, “City employees may require evidence of a person’s identity … only when specifically authorized and required to do so by the employee’s work duties. City employees shall not discriminate against any current or potential service users on the basis of … immigration status.”
“I take this separation ordinance very seriously,” said Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak in a prepared statement. “I am rock solid – the police should be here first and foremost to protect and serve the people of Minneapolis,” Rybak said.
Last year, Rybak made a formal request to the ICE to stop wearing jackets that said police on them.
“We are absolutely committed to our policy of separating our police from immigration,” Rybak said.
“Any relationships local police may have built with communities will be severed because hundreds of community members witnessed how the Minneapolis Police Department collaborated with the ICE operation,” said representatives from the Immigrant Freedom Network this weekend.
Immigration reform advocates met at the Mercado Central area on Sunday, May 20, to address community issues around the ICE operation.
In response to the heightened ICE tactics, a community meeting has been called for Saturday, May 26, at 1 p.m. at the Waite House. Organizers said anyone interested in joining a community raid response team is welcomed to come.
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