Brooklyn Park officials weigh policy, outreach after presidential immigration order

Brooklyn Park city leaders on Monday discussed how to respond to recent federal immigration actions after community members reported fear that enforcement activity could target local immigrant families.

City Manager Jay Schroeder said the city would move quickly to clarify local practice and communication. “We need to execute this in such a way that it's getting the word out to the people who need to hear that word,” Schroeder said as he outlined a draft Q&A, an updated resource page and outreach plans to trusted community partners.

The discussion centered on two tracks: policy language limiting city employees from asking about immigration status, and an outreach campaign to reassure residents and provide practical resources. Police Chief Burley described a review of the department’s existing policy — last substantially reviewed in 2016 — and said updated language would aim to make clear that routine Brooklyn Park police interactions do not include immigration enforcement. “We don't go with ICE to do searches. We don't report people from our jail to ICE. And we certainly don't ask out on the street in interactions if people are here legally or not,” Burley said.

Burley also warned of a legal constraint he said city policy must navigate. He referenced federal law that he said limits a local chief’s ability to prevent officers from contacting federal immigration authorities in certain circumstances, and pointed to language used in Minneapolis and St. Paul as possible models. “The law says I can't create a rule that prohibits the connection,” Burley said, adding that the department’s practice is not to make immigration inquiries in typical contacts.

Community speakers urged rapid, culturally grounded outreach. Lou Sagal, a longtime Brooklyn Park resident and member of the city’s advisory group, described widespread fear among immigrant families and said parents had kept children home from school. “They’re very fearful… the kids are not going to school. They’re staying home,” Sagal said, calling for small, trust-based meetings through churches and local organizations rather than broad promotions.

Brenda, a Human Rights Commission member, said the commission supports clear public messaging and wants the city to prioritize protecting families so residents remain willing to call for help in emergencies. “We don't want more people being afraid to call for help in emergencies and things like that. That's not good for anybody in this community,” she said.

Council members urged staff to balance urgency with caution so public messages do not unintentionally increase fear. Several council members favored both a citywide ordinance or resolution and departmental policies so protections would apply across city services including police and fire. One council member noted Minneapolis and St. Paul had enacted ordinances barring employees from asking about immigration status for exactly that reason.

City staff summarized next steps: draft policy language for police and other city employees that would prohibit asking about immigration status and propose disciplinary consequences for violations; assemble a Q&A/fact sheet and a youth-friendly version; and begin targeted outreach with trusted community partners and school districts. Schroeder said staff would seek CMAT/CMAC review and aimed to return a proposed policy to the council by the next council meeting cycle (the city manager cited an effort to have material ready by the council meeting on the 10th).

Officials clarified there were no formal city votes at the session; the meeting produced staff direction rather than enacted ordinances. Participants also discussed practical protections for children who might come home to an absent parent and described legal tools such as delegation of parental rights that community organizations could share with families.

The council asked staff to prioritize convening community meetings and producing clear, multilingual resources distributed through trusted parish networks, community groups and school contacts. Schroeder said staff would provide an update at a work session and follow up at the next council meeting.

The discussion included references to federal executive actions and to the U.S. Constitution’s Fourteenth Amendment and was framed repeatedly as a combination of protecting public safety, ensuring access to emergency services and minimizing community panic.

The council adjourned after confirming staff would draft policy language, the Q&A resource and an outreach plan for near-term review.