Bloomington joins nine other Twin Cities metro-area suburban communities in support of the lawsuit filed by the Minnesota Attorney General and the cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul. The lawsuit asks the U.S. District Court to issue a temporary injunction against unlawful ICE activity that is impacting children from attending schools safely, local businesses from thriving economically, and reducing access to courts and public services due to the fear and apprehension caused by ICE tactics. It argues that ICE operations be limited to acceptable constitutional operations. A brief indicating support was filed on Thursday, January 29.
“Cities that border Minneapolis and St. Paul are impacted by the tactics being used during this large-scale federal immigration enforcement called Operation Metro Surge,” Bloomington Mayor Tim Busse said. “People are hesitating to cooperate or call police and participate in our judicial system, which can make our communities less safe. And as stated in the supporting brief, when core local-government systems are destabilized, community safety declines.”
The cities included in the brief are Bloomington, Brooklyn Center, Edina, Falcon Heights, Golden Valley, Lauderdale, Minnetonka, Mounds View, Richfield, and Saint Louis Park.
A judge’s order on the lawsuit is anticipated soon.
