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North St. Paul police chief: city does not enforce immigration laws as residents voice fear over ICE activity
Summary
Police Chief Ray Rosales read a city statement saying North St. Paul does not enforce immigration laws and officers do not ask about immigration status; residents told the council they are afraid to patronize immigrant-owned businesses and urged the city to protect community safety.
Chief Ray Rosales told the City Council that the City of North St. Paul does not enforce federal immigration laws and that local officers do not ask about the immigration status of suspects, victims or witnesses.
"The city of North St. Paul does not enforce immigration laws and is not involved in federal immigration enforcement operations," Rosales said, reading a city statement that the department will post on its website. He urged residents with concerns about ICE activity to contact the North St. Paul Police Department at 651-747-2406 and said complaints about DHS employees can be filed with the DHS Office of Inspector General.
The statement was prompted by questions from residents about increased federal immigration enforcement nearby. Rosales said officers may respond to demonstrations to ensure public safety and protect constitutional rights, but that interfering with federal agents is unlawful and can create safety risks.
During the three-minute public comment period, a resident who identified himself as Ben thanked the chief for the statement and described fear in the community. "Residents are afraid to leave their homes and interact as a community," Ben said, citing vehicle stops, entries without warrants, and arrests. "So please ... do not let ICE take over our city."
Another resident, Sabina, said many immigrant-owned businesses in North St. Paul have closed or are keeping their doors locked and asked the city to do more to help those businesses feel safe. "Whatever we can do as a city to support them and make them feel safe in the city I just really would like that to happen," she said.
The chief emphasized that ICE is a separate federal agency and that local officers are prohibited from sharing information for the purpose of identifying or enforcing immigration violations. Rosales said the department respects the constitutional right to demonstrate and will respond to ensure safety and lawful exercise of those rights.
The council acknowledged the comments and thanked residents for attending. The city manager confirmed the chief's statement would be posted to the city's website.
