Residents urge Coon Rapids leaders to respond after reported federal immigration enforcement activity

Dozens of residents used the Open Mic portion of the Coon Rapids City Council meeting on March 3 to describe recent federal immigration enforcement activity in and near the city and to press elected officials for a stronger response. The speakers said the operations had caused fear and disrupted families in the community.

Attorney and legal observer Colette Adkins said she "observed several federal enforcement vehicles and masked agents with weapons" at an event in the City Hall and Police Department parking lot on Feb. 20, 2026, and said their presence interfered with her attempts to film the detention and to communicate with the person being detained. She told the council she filed a declaration with the American Civil Liberties Union about the incident.

A resident who identified only as Cameron said community members had seen ICE vehicles following school buses and moving into the City Hall parking lot. "It was traumatic for community members and has damaged trust in local law enforcement," Cameron said, urging the council to take action to rebuild that trust.

Sheighlyn Berbig, who said she co-founded Parents for Good to help families during the recent activity, said the group established a mutual-aid hub that provided the equivalent of a week's worth of food to about 1,425 families, roughly 250 of them from Coon Rapids. She criticized city summary videos for not acknowledging residents who spoke about immigration issues at prior meetings and asked the council to demonstrate leadership.

Tom Kiekhafer and Betsy Kiekhafer recounted reports of agents operating in neighborhoods, including a claim that a biracial 17-year-old was detained and questioned for several hours and examples of residents being taken from homes. Betsy Kiekhafer also referenced Victor Diaz, who she said was taken into immigration custody and later died in detention in Texas; she said the case was under investigation and urged the council to recognize the local impact of enforcement actions.

Becky Fink, who said she and other residents attended a recent community gathering about protecting civil liberties, asked whether the council would bring forward or vote on a resolution suggested by the League of Minnesota Cities and requested clearer answers about what the city had done since the incidents were reported.

Mayor Jerry Koch read the City's prepared open-mic response on federal law enforcement questions. Several councilmembers thanked residents for speaking and said they were available to talk after the meeting, but the council did not take formal action on the requests raised during public comment.

The council adjourned at 7:54 p.m.