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Wright County officials say DHS post misidentified counties as "sanctuary" and has been removed
Summary
Board chair told residents a Department of Homeland Security post that named Wright County among 'sanctuary counties' was taken down; officials reiterated cooperation with federal immigration authorities and said no local policy naming Wright County a sanctuary exists or is planned.
Wright County board leaders told residents Tuesday that a Department of Homeland Security post that listed multiple Minnesota counties — including Wright County — as "sanctuary counties" was incorrect, has been removed and is being corrected.
The board chair said the original DHS posting, which was picked up by media outlets and circulated widely, "was leading to a lot of angst and a lot of misinformation being spread out there." The chair said Representative Emmer and his office helped get the post taken down.
The board chair told the public, "Wright County and the Sheriff's Office is a good partner with our federal government. And it is a good partner with all agencies including the ICE agency within the federal government." The chair added that Wright County has not taken and does not intend to take actions naming the county a sanctuary.
Commissioners did not take formal action on the matter during the meeting; the comments were offered as a public clarification before the board moved on to the day's agenda.
Why it matters: the post had been widely shared and prompted local concern about county policy and law-enforcement cooperation with federal immigration authorities. County leaders moved to correct the record to prevent confusion and reassure residents and partner agencies.
What officials said and did: the chair identified the post as the source of confusion and said it had been removed by DHS; the chair publicly thanked Representative Emmer's team for their assistance. No ordinance, resolution or policy change was proposed or adopted at the meeting related to immigration enforcement.
Context: the clarification was made at the start of the June 3 Wright County Board of Commissioners meeting, before routine agenda business. No staff report, legal opinion or written county policy related to immigration enforcement was presented or voted on during the session.
Locally relevant details: the chair's remarks framed the issue as a misinformation correction and reaffirmed the Sheriff's Office relationship with federal agencies. The board did not identify any pending local actions to adopt a "sanctuary" designation.
Ending: County officials said they will seek corrected information from DHS and continue their existing partnerships with federal agencies, while urging residents to rely on verified county communications for policy updates.
