Despite the recent significant disputes between the state of Minnesota and the federal government over how to enhance immigration enforcement in the Land of 10,000 Lakes, some sheriffs in the Greater Minnesota region have stated that they have been working with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and have no plans to change their approach.
Minnesota has seen at least six counties sign agreements to varying degrees to assist ICE, including providing county jail facilities for detention and aiding federal agents in locating and arresting individuals suspected of violating immigration laws or other crimes. These counties are located in the Greater Minnesota region, excluding areas in the Twin Cities metropolitan area, which refers to Minneapolis, St. Paul, and surrounding regions of the two cities.
Regarding the enforcement issues in Minnesota, Tom Homan, the acting chief of U.S. Border Affairs, had previously mentioned that if local leaders were willing to cooperate, including allowing easier access for federal authorities to individuals detained in county jails, he would withdraw federal immigration enforcement agents from Minnesota.
Currently, some counties notify ICE when undocumented immigrants who are set for deportation are about to be released from jail, holding these individuals for an additional two days upon ICE’s request, while others take no action at all.
Crow Wing County is one of the counties cooperating with ICE. Last year, the county signed a 287(g) agreement with ICE. Sheriff Eric Klang stated that this agreement did not bring significant changes to the interaction between the county government and federal agencies.
Sheriff Klang stated, “I have always worked with local, state, and federal partners, and that won’t change regardless of political shifts or emotionally charged events.”
The 287(g) agreement refers to a cooperative mechanism authorized under Section 287(g) of the U.S. Immigration and Nationality Act. This agreement allows local or county law enforcement agencies (sheriff’s offices, police departments) to enforce federal immigration laws under the supervision and training of ICE to a limited extent.
On January 26, a press release issued by Sheriff Eric Klang announced that officers assisted ICE’s Homeland Security Investigations team in arresting four individuals at the Mexican restaurant “El Potro” in downtown Brainerd. The arrests sparked a gathering of religious leaders and community members outside the restaurant the following day.
Last year, Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison stated that sheriffs cannot unilaterally sign agreements with ICE without approval from the county council. According to this viewpoint, Cass and Itasca counties have reportedly suspended their agreements with ICE and have not progressed with officer training.
However, sheriffs in some counties have their own perspectives on the matter. Sheriff Klang mentioned that most of the feedback he received supports the cooperation between Crow Wing County and ICE. He also acknowledged that many people are dissatisfied with it, and he understands their concerns.
Sheriff Klang explained that under the “detainer model” of the 287(g) agreement, officers received online training to execute immigration detention requests in county jails for inmates. These detention requests involve temporarily holding detainees on behalf of another agency.
Crow Wing County also signed an agreement for the “task force model” with ICE, allowing officers to enforce immigration laws during routine police duties—an action typically not carried out by sanctuary jurisdictions. Sanctuary jurisdictions restrict cooperation between local governments and ICE.
Last year, Mille Lacs County also signed a task force model agreement with ICE. Sheriff Kyle Burton mentioned that his officers have collaborated with ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations, locating and arresting approximately nine individuals with criminal records during their illegal stay in the country.
Burton indicated that recent federal enforcement actions against undocumented immigrants have not prompted him to reconsider the county’s relationship with ICE. In fact, he believes that such collaboration helps prevent chaos in the Twin Cities metropolitan area.
“We don’t have those problems in my county because we communicate, cooperate, and avoid misunderstandings or unclear information,” Burton stated. “It also prevents a situation where 30 ICE agents suddenly show up in my county to carry out search warrants or raids without my knowledge.”
Crow Wing County also allows federal detainees suspected of violating immigration laws to be held in the county jail. The county has a contract with the U.S. Marshals Service to house around 30 to 50 individuals. Freeborn County, Kandiyohi County, and Sherburne County have similar federal agreements to detain immigrants in their county jails.
The Minnesota Sheriffs’ Association has reported that they have met with Homan to discuss how to improve coordination between counties and ICE. However, no specific proposals have been announced yet.
This article referenced reports from MPR News.