Minneapolis council members approve audit of ICE involvement at Lake St. investigation

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - Minneapolis City Council members voted Thursday to let the city auditor review the city's involvement with ICE during what authorities said was a criminal investigation – not an immigration enforcement raid – along Lake Street at Bloomington Avenue this week.

Lake and Bloomington investigation

The backstory:

Word of an ICE raid that spread online on Tuesday sparked a protest at a Mexican restaurant in the area of Lake Street and Bloomington Avenue.

Protesters gathered to prevent what they thought were ICE immigration arrests. However, authorities later said the law enforcement response was part of a criminal investigation. A task force, which included ICE agents among other law enforcement agencies, executed several search warrants on Tuesday they said were related to human trafficking, drugs, and money laundering.

Images from protesters showed law enforcement, again including Homeland Security and ICE agents among FBI, deputies, and other officers, wearing SWAT gear and utilizing a SWAT vehicle as part of the operation.

City council criticizes response

What we know:

On Thursday, during the Minneapolis City Council meeting, council members Jason Chavez called out the presence of ICE in the city.

"We saw a militarized operation on Lake Street," said Council Member Chavez, who represents the area. "We saw people with large weapons, militarized vehicles that came into our community to instill fear to our immigrant community. We saw people there with ICE badges, and that needs to be said out loud because that is disheartening."

"If you've ever had loved ones be deported, if you ever had love ones be impacted by this unjust and cruel immigration system, you know that any federal action like this is hurtful," Chavez added.

Auditor review of ICE

What they're saying:

Later, council members moved for an after-action review of the city's role with ICE in the operation.

"There are questions that I believe this body needs to ask," said Council Member Aurin Chowdhury, who co-authored the measure with Chavez. "This is one step and one tool that we have to get independent evaluation of what happened that day – an after-action review. It is important that, in this moment, we address the situation where ICE was on the ground in Minneapolis in a heavily-immigrant corridor with a lot of scrutiny and strength because… giving this Trump administration an inch to show up in the City of Minneapolis and violate our values, they will take a mile."

Council Member Linea Palmisano said she hoped any review would also include communications by council members who she said created an "increasingly tense scene."

"This community trusts you," said Palmisano. "And this community takes your lead. So inflammatory or uncorrected messaging really jeopardizes public safety."

The motion passed on an 12-0 vote.

Sheriff calls out politicians who spread rumor

The other side:

On Wednesday, Hennepin County Sheriff Dawanna Witt called out lawmakers for throwing fuel on the tense situation.

Sheriff Witt said some politicians recklessly spread rumors that the operation was an ICE raid without taking time to gather the facts about the situation.

"Yesterday's incident was a criminal investigation," she explained. "So putting out the rhetoric that that was a raid, it was not a raid. Putting out the rhetoric that it was an immigration enforcement, the Hennepin County Sheriff's Office does not participate in immigration enforcement. Elected officials have a responsibility to the constituents to put out accurate information. They don't have to agree with it, but do not mislead the public, causing more harm to our communities."

The sheriff added: "There were ways for them to have accurate information and instead of getting accurate information, being impulsive and putting out things that could potentially incite riots is senseless."

Dig deeper:

During Thursday's meeting, Chavez called out Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O'Hara for making similar criticisms of elected leaders.

"I emailed the chief asking who he was talking about last night when it comes to elected officials," said Chavez. "Didn't get a straight answer. I emailed them again today to give me clarification. Which elected officials are you talking about in your emails and in your media press releases? And chief, I'm asking you right now, name them. Name which elected officials you're talking about because it's clear that you're afraid to tell the public who you're talking about, because you're lying. ICE was present in our community. There's no denying it."

"ICE was present in our community, people with ICE badges were in our community, and to downplay people's trauma is just wrong," he added. "I'll ask the chief, name which elected officials you're talking about. Because when I posted on social media, I said ICE was present, and they were."

Chavez said regardless of why they were there, people are right to be scared about ICE agents in military gear on the streets of Minneapolis.

"To downplay people's trauma is just wrong," he said. "I want people to be wary about the comments about how immigrants should not be concerned that ICE is present in our community. That our community should not have any reaction because of military tanks, people with weapons in our corridor. That is why people are responding with fear. People are on our corridor who are covering their faces? Covering their badges, without their names, and we have guns in our street and we're supposed to say, 'No worries, don't worry about it, don't be scared.' That is concerning, that is bigotry, that's wrong."

Minneapolis City CouncilMinneapolisImmigrationPolitics