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Dear Friends and Neighbors,
As Operation Metro Surge continues in our region, I'm writing you today with two relevant updates from the county:
- An invitation to a virtual Know-Your-Rights town hall with attorneys from Hennepin County Adult Representation. This event is co-hosted by the entire Hennepin County District 3 legislative delegation.
- The county board's resolution denouncing Operation Metro Surge and directing county response
I’m pleased that #ICEOUT is official Hennepin County policy, reflecting my values as well as those of the entire board of commissioners. The flagrant racism and unconstitutionality of Operation Metro Surge, the impunity that ICE agents have been offered, and the arrests of reporters constitute a constitutional crisis. The murders of Renée Good and Alex Pretti by ICE agents, and the subsequent attempts by the Trump administration to tell us not to believe our own eyes make my blood run cold.
Acknowledging that is one thing, and responding to the conditions in front of us is another. I want to thank so many of you who are stepping up in big and small ways to respond to the humanitarian, human rights, and political demands of the moment. Our region is shining. To those of us who are scared, curtailing activities, or living in hiding: We are in this together. Please reach out if there is absolutely anything my office or I can do for you.
My best,
Please join myself, the entire Hennepin County District 3 Legislative Delegation, and attorneys from Hennepin County's Adult Legal Representation Services for a Know-Your-Rights Virtual Town Hall on Thursday February 5, from 7-8pm.
Register and submit questions here.
#ICEOUT is official Hennepin County policy. On Tuesday the 27th, the county board unanimously passed a resolution outlining our collective grievances and calling for the end of Operation Metro Surge. Below I've pulled out a few resolving clauses that I want to highlight. Please take a look at the full resolution here.
- THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the Hennepin County Board of Commissioners denounces the violent and constitutionally questionable actions by ICE and CBP in Minnesota, the terror their presence has amassed, and the trauma federal agents have inflicted on residents; and
- BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Hennepin County Board of Commissioners condemns the preventable and brutal killings of Renee Nicole Good and Alex Jeffrey Pretti, and calls for an independent or parallel investigation to be conducted by the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) as the expert agency through the specialized Force Investigations Unit (FIU); and
- BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Hennepin County Board of Commissioners recognizes the U.S. Constitution’s First Amendment that protects freedom of religion, speech, press, assembly, and petition, and condemns the use of chemical irritants or less-lethal munitions as crowd dispersal tactics on peaceful protesters and press; and
- BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Hennepin County Board of Commissioners calls on the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to immediately suspend "Operate Metro Surge,” end the influx of more than 3,000 federal immigration enforcement personnel and assets, remove them from Minnesota communities, and suspend enforcement tactics that inflict broad community harm and undermine trust; and
- BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Hennepin County Board of Commissioners reaffirms support for staff and community who are witnessing and experiencing the onslaught of federal agents in the County, and is committed to providing services, connection, and care for every resident, regardless of background, language, or circumstance with a person-centered and trauma-informed methodology.
Contact us
Marion Greene
Commissioner, 3rd District
612-348-7883
Elie Farhat
Principal Aide
612-348-7125
Laura Hoffman
District Aide
612-348-0863
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