Minneapolis leaders call for review of police role in federal search on Lake Street
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Minneapolis city officials will conduct an independent review of a federal law enforcement operation conducted earlier this week at a business on Lake Street while police officers helped with crowd control.
The Minneapolis City Council voted Thursday to request the Office of City Auditor to look into whether the police department violated the city’s separation ordinance — which forbids local police from enforcing federal immigration laws.
Council member Robin Wonsley says city residents do not want to see militarized federal agents in their neighborhoods.
“Especially in communities that are most prone to being attacked by the federal administration. Many of our residents also do not want to see the city of Minneapolis or Minneapolis Police Department have any type of role in these frightening operations,” she said.
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City and county officials say the agents were part of a large narcotics, human trafficking and money laundering investigation. The federal presence at the scene included agents from the FBI, ATF and Immigration Customs Enforcement.
“The City of Minneapolis is committed to be resolutely independent of the federal government's actions when it comes to immigration enforcement,” said city auditor Robert Timmerman who added that he will work with the audit committee to meet the July 31 deadline requested by the council.
Timmerman said the audit will be limited in scope and will examine communications involving police and city officials leading up to and immediately after the operation.
Police Chief Brian O’Hara said he only learned about the search after it started. And on Wednesday, he said the operation and the community response revealed how intense the issue of immigration enforcement remains in the city. And he said, “I have communicated my concerns directly to our federal partners.”
