Latest news with #DawannaWitt
Yahoo
9 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Minneapolis PD memo tells officers not to assist with immigration enforcement
The Brief A memo from Minneapolis police reminds officers not to assist with ICE raids. Officers are prohibited from assisting with immigration enforcement under a city ordinance. The memo follows a protest in Minneapolis last week over ICE agents who were assisting with what turned out to be a criminal investigation. MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - The Minneapolis Police Department issued a new memo over the weekend, reminding officers of a separation order that restricts police from aiding in immigration removal actions by federal authorities, like ICE. The memo comes days after a protest over ICE agents involvement in what turned out to be a criminal investigation in Minneapolis. The backstory The memo comes days after a protest escalated in Minneapolis as ICE agents took part in what authorities later said was a criminal investigation into human and drug trafficking – not an immigration enforcement action. Officials said federal authorities were executing a search warrant at a Mexican restaurant at Lake Street and Bloomington Avenue last Tuesday. However, rumors spread online that ICE agents were taking part in a raid, sparking a protest in the street. What they're saying On Wednesday, the day after the protest, officials including Sheriff Dawanna Witt and Mayor Jacob Frey criticized other public leaders for contributing to the heightening of tensions. The next day, at the Minneapolis City Council meeting, city leaders unamiously approved an after-action review by an auditor of the city's role with assisting ICE during the investigation and protest. The city of Minneapolis has a 'separation ordinance" that restricts officers from assisting with immigration enforcement actions. The review approved by the city council will look into that. Separately, the department is scheduled to present to a council committee later this month the steps it's taking to abide by the ordinance. What we know A memo sent out by Minneapolis Assistant Chief Katie Blackwell reminds officers they aren't allowed to assist in any immigration enforcement activity. The memo also tells officers they can't even assist with ancillary activities related to ICE raids, like crowd control. "Any assistance for federal enforcement action must be routed through the chain of command for evaluation and authorization by the Chief of Police or Chief's designer," the memo states. "Members of the MPD shall not self-deploy to any related immigration enforcement activity. We remain committed to supporting public safety and maintaining trust within our communities." The memo was first reported on by conservative Twin Cities news outlet Alpha News. FOX 9 was able to obtain a copy of the memo from Minneapolis police. Dig deeper In a statement, Minneapolis police say the memo was issued in light of the confusion surrounding last week's criminal investigation. "Assistant Chief Blackwell's memo serves as a clear reminder of the Minneapolis Police Department's longstanding policy and the City's ordinance prohibiting involvement in federal civil immigration enforcement activities. "The email was issued to help ensure officers understand how to appropriately respond to any requests for assistance related to immigration enforcement. This clarification was especially important in light of recent public confusion and misinformation following the federal operation earlier this week. "Our role remains focused on addressing criminal activity and maintaining public safety, while respecting the boundaries set by city ordinance and department policy." The backstory The memo also comes as protests over ICE in Los Angeles have spiraled out of control. Over the weekend, President Trump sent in the National Guard to help quell the protests which turned to rioting Sunday night.
CBS News
5 days ago
- Health
- CBS News
Fallout continues after federal raid; officials say drugs is a growing concern in area
Continued fallout from federal raid on Lake Street; officials say drugs are a problem in the area Continued fallout from federal raid on Lake Street; officials say drugs are a problem in the area Continued fallout from federal raid on Lake Street; officials say drugs are a problem in the area Fallout continues after a chaotic clash between protesters and law enforcement serving a drug trafficking warrant on Lake Street in Minneapolis Tuesday. While residents and local leaders denounced the tactics, they do say drugs are a growing problem in Minneapolis. Healthcare officials are sounding the alarm too. The chaotic clash is gone but questions remain — about the optics in which federal agents went about the raid at a Mexican restaurant on Lake Street. Many believing the raid was tied to immigration enforcement, but the Department of Homeland Security calls it a "groundbreaking criminal operation." Local leaders say the search warrant was connected to "drugs and money laundering." "I don't know one person who's ok with drug smuggling in our communities," said Hennepin County Sheriff Dawanna Witt. In fact — Sheriff Witt says Tuesday's operation needed to be done pointing to an uptick in overdoses. "Look at the stats, Od's are going back up already, we have to do this work," Witt said. According to Hennepin Healthcare, the number of non-fatal overdoses is up about 45% compared to last year. Dr. Tim Kummer, the Assistant Medical Director of Hennepin EMS calls the uptick troubling. "When you have an increase in non-fatal overdoses, you'll inevitable have an increase in fatal overdoses," Kummer said. Healthcare leaders say they are working on a plan to get ahead of this spike in non-fatal overdoses before they become fatal. Back on E. Lake Street, those living in the area say they see the drug use in real time. "We are all the time threaten by violence by drug dealers in their corners," said business owner Rodrigo Cardoso.
CBS News
6 days ago
- General
- CBS News
Minneapolis police chief calls federal law enforcement's actions "tone-deaf" after chaotic raid
Minneapolis leaders have addressed concerns following Tuesday's chaotic clash between protesters, police, deputies and federal law enforcement. It happened just before noon outside Las Cuatro Milpas restaurant off East Lake Street and Bloomington Avenue. The Department of Homeland Security says it was executing multiple search warrants and didn't make an arrest, calling the operation "groundbreaking." But crowds quickly gathered at the scene, many believing it was an immigration raid. City leaders soon released statements about the operation's actual purpose. "This incident was related to a criminal search warrant for drugs and money laundering and was not related to immigration enforcement," said Mayor Jacob Frey on Tuesday. Police and the Hennepin County Sheriff's Office also released statements echoing the same explanation. During a joint press conference about their "Operation Safe Summer" plan, Frey and Police Chief Brian O'Hara said they didn't know about the operation until it was already underway. Sheriff Dawanna Witt said her office had some knowledge of what was going to happen, but she could only say it was tied to a "transnational criminal organization" — one of eight warrants executed across Minnesota linked to human trafficking. WCCO All said that while Tuesday's operation was necessary, it was poorly planned, and O'Hara criticized the actions of federal law enforcement. "I had concerns and I have relayed them to our federal partners," O'Hara said. "I think the matter in which some of it was handled was tone-deaf for the situation. I think there's no question everybody learned yesterday just how heightened and how tense the issue of immigration enforcement in this city is." Frey, O'Hara and Witt also slammed local leaders for reacting without the facts, emphasizing the raid wasn't tied to immigration despite the presence of agents with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Minneapolis City Councilman Jeremiah Ellison called local and federal agents involved "faux military clowns," while mayoral candidate and state Sen. Omar Fateh called it "blatant facism." "When things are tense and heightened and spiraling out of control, you need leaders to step back and gather the facts and deal with the situation that was unfolding," O'Hara said. WCCO went to Hennepin County District Court and found federal search warrants connected to the raid, but they were sealed. This story will be updated.
