Brooklyn Park Mayor Explains Stance on Immigration Raids
Minnesota was not on the list for President Trump’s threatened immigration raids. Nonetheless, officials in one of the most diverse cities in the northwest metro say its police force will not cooperate with Immigration and Custom Enforcement agents. Brooklyn Park Mayor Jeff Lunde says this has always been the case.
“We’ve always said that we do not enforce immigration law. That is a federal issue,” explained Lunde. “Our police department has never and will not in the future, be actively involved with helping ICE or any federal agency enforce. Whether it’s immigration or any federal law.”
A statement from the police department affirms Lunde’s position:
“Brooklyn Park police policy prohibits officers from assisting ice on immigration only enforcement. Brooklyn Park police and staff are not allowed to take any actions to report, arrest, or detain people just because of their immigration status. Our entire city values and is proud to stand in solidarity with our immigrant brothers, sisters, and neighbors. The city partner’s with legal service organizations to ensure that residents have access to competent legal information and advice, regardless of ability to pay.”
Large Foreign Born Population
Over half of the population in Brooklyn Park is non-white. According to the city, 20 percent of residents were born outside of the United States. Mayor Lunde says immigrants should not be afraid to interact with police or to contact police to report crimes.
“If a person is a victim of a crime, no matter what their status in society… they should feel comfortable calling our police department reporting that crime,” says Lunde.
Lunde also says city officials are reaching out to ethnic community groups to help spread the message.
