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As
Elections
Loom,
Uncertainty
Clouds
Future
of ICE
in
Minneapolis
Tanya
Somerfield
-
Immigration/Law
Tell Us
USA News
Network
MINNEAPOLIS
– The
operations
and
public
perception
of U.S.
Immigration
and
Customs
Enforcement
(ICE) in
the Twin
Cities
remain a
deeply
contentious
and
evolving
issue,
characterized
by
heightened
political
tension,
ongoing
policy
shifts,
and
sustained
community
activism.
Following
the
Biden
administration's
directive
to
prioritize
arrests
of
individuals
deemed
national
security
or
public
safety
threats,
ICE’s
Enforcement
and
Removal
Operations
(ERO) in
the St.
Paul
Field
Office,
which
covers
Minnesota,
reports
a
targeted
approach.
Official
statements
emphasize
operations
focused
on
non-citizens
with
serious
criminal
convictions
or
recent
border
entries
without
legal
basis.
However,
immigrant
advocacy
groups,
including
the
Minnesota
Immigrant
Rights
Action
Committee
(MIRAC)
and
Unidos
MN,
contest
this
narrative.
They
report
continued
raids,
traffic
stops,
and
workplace
audits
that
they say
sow fear
in
broader
immigrant
communities,
including
those
without
criminal
records.
“The
rhetoric
is of
prioritization,
but the
reality
on the
ground
is a
dragnet
that
continues
to
separate
families
and
disrupt
lives,”
said a
spokesperson
for the
Advocates
for
Human
Rights
in
Minneapolis.
Minneapolis,
along
with
Hennepin
County,
maintains
policies
that
limit
cooperation
with
federal
immigration
detainers
in most
cases.
The
Hennepin
County
Jail no
longer
honors
ICE
detainers
without
a
judicial
warrant,
a
significant
barrier
to ICE’s
ability
to take
custody
of
individuals
from
local
law
enforcement.
This has
led to
an
increased
reliance
by ICE
on
alternative
tactics,
advocates
and
researchers
note.
These
include
surveillance,
home
visits,
and
operations
near
courthouses
or in
community
spaces—methods
that
have
drawn
sharp
criticism
from
local
officials.
The
Minneapolis
City
Council
has
repeatedly
reaffirmed
its
commitment
to being
a
“welcoming
city”
and has
called
for
greater
oversight
of ICE
activities.
Legal
organizations
like the
American
Civil
Liberties
Union
(Minnesota)
and the
Immigrant
Law
Center
of
Minnesota
remain
heavily
engaged
in
litigation
and
defense.
Key
battles
include
challenging
prolonged
detentions,
contesting
deportation
orders,
and
fighting
for due
process.
A
network
of
rapid-response
hotlines
and
community
watches,
established
during
the
Trump
administration,
remains
active,
aiming
to
monitor
and
document
ICE
operations
in
real-time.
The
situation
is
fluid,
influenced
by
national
policy
changes
and
local
events.
The
upcoming
presidential
election
has
added a
layer of
uncertainty,
with
potential
for
significant
operational
shifts
depending
on the
outcome.
Additionally,
the
continued
arrival
of new
migrants
and
asylum
seekers,
some
bussed
from
other
states,
adds
complexity
to the
local
infrastructure
of
support
and
enforcement.
The
state of
affairs
in
Minneapolis
reflects
a
national
divide.
For
some,
ICE
represents
a
necessary
law
enforcement
agency
protecting
borders.
For a
vocal
and
organized
segment
of the
Minneapolis
community,
it is an
agency
whose
very
presence
undermines
trust in
public
safety
and
violates
community
ethics.
An ICE
spokesperson
provided
the
standard
agency
line:
“ICE
conducts
targeted
immigration
enforcement
in
compliance
with
federal
law and
agency
policy.
Our
officers
prioritize
individuals
who
threaten
national
security,
public
safety,
and
border
security.”
In
response,
City
Council
Member
**Jamal
White**
stated,
“Minneapolis
has made
it
clear:
we want
to
protect
our
neighbors.
The
current
state is
one of
resistance.
We are
watching,
we are
organizing,
and we
are
providing
legal
shelter
where we
can. The
fight is
far from
over.”
The
trajectory
of ICE
in
Minneapolis
will
continue
to be a
barometer
for the
clash
between
federal
immigration
authority
and the
principles
of local
sanctuary
cities.
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