Camilla Jessen
Law enforcement leaders in Minnesota say growing tensions between local police and federal immigration agents are threatening public trust.
At a news conference on January 20, Brooklyn Park Police Chief Mark Bruley said local departments across the Twin Cities have been flooded with reports of civil rights violations involving Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
According to Bruley, U.S. citizens — including off-duty police officers — have been stopped and questioned by ICE agents based solely on their appearance.
“We, as a law enforcement community, have been receiving endless complaints about civil rights violations in our streets from U.S. citizens,” he said.
Bruley added that those stopped were being asked to provide proof of legal status without cause.
“Every one of these individuals is a person of color who has had this happen to them,” he said.
Not a call to abolish ICE
Bruley emphasized that local leaders are not seeking to dismantle federal immigration enforcement.
“The truth is, immigration enforcement is necessary for our national security and for local security, but how it’s done is extremely important,” he said.
He noted that cooperation between local police and federal agencies, including ICE, had historically worked “exceptionally well.”
But he said the last two weeks marked a clear shift.
The escalation follows the Jan. 7 killing of Renee Good, a U.S. citizen who was fatally shot by an ICE agent in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Her death has sparked protests nationwide, according to reporting by PEOPLE.
Off-duty officers stopped
Bruley described one incident involving an off-duty Brooklyn Park police officer who was stopped while driving past ICE agents.
“When they boxed her in, they demanded her paperwork, of which she’s a U.S. citizen and clearly would not have any paperwork,” he said.
When the officer tried to record the interaction, her phone was knocked from her hand, Bruley said. “The officers had their guns drawn during this interaction,” he added.
After she identified herself as a police officer, the agents left. “I wish I could tell you this was an isolated incident,” Bruley said, noting that other chiefs had reported similar encounters involving their officers.
Bruley warned that such actions undermine years of work to rebuild trust between police and communities.
“It has to stop,” he said.
St. Paul Police Chief Axel Henry echoed those concerns, saying some city employees had similar experiences.
“Law enforcement has more authority than a general citizen,” Henry said. “That means we have more responsibility in how we behave.”
Hennepin County Sheriff Dawanna Witt said the issue goes beyond policing.
“I am seeing and hearing about people in Hennepin County stopped, questioned and harassed, solely because of the color of their skin,” she said.
ICE did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Sources: PEOPLE
