West St. Paul Reiterates Stance on ICE

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As Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents have frequently been spotted in West St. Paul, the city reiterates its stance on not participating in immigration enforcement.

West St. Paul City Manager Nate Burkett issued the following written statement:

“West St. Paul does not participate in civil immigration enforcement, and we do not assist with it except as required by law. We act only when authorized or required by law, including complying with valid judicial warrants and court orders and with what Minnesota law requires.”

Tensions are high after an ICE agent shot and killed a woman in Minneapolis. There have been multiple other incidents between federal agents and residents, including a disputed incident between a West St. Paul man and federal agents.

“The core point is this: We work for this community and our job is public safety,” said Burkett. “We will use every tool within our legal authority to keep people safe.”

Burkett also acknowledged there’s only so much the city can do: “We also need to be honest about limits,” Burkett said. “The city cannot control federal agencies or direct their decisions. What we can do is control our own operations, stay within the law, and respond to public safety issues.”

Police and Immigration Enforcement

The City of West St. Paul’s statement is not a new response—the city reiterated this stance after an arrest in late December, in a social media post earlier in December, and Police Chief Brian Sturgeon explained this approach during a community safety meeting in October.

Why: So why don’t local police enforce immigration law?

• Civil vs. criminal: In general, immigration enforcement is a civil matter and local police focus on criminal matters. It’s the same reason local police don’t enforce workplace safety laws or other civil issues.
• Safety: Additionally, as a practical matter, local police want the general public to feel safe calling the police. If people are afraid their immigration status will be questioned, they’re less likely to call the police, and that can be a danger to public safety.

Note: These are general policing standards and not specific responses from the City of West St. Paul.

More Guidance?

We asked the city more specific questions about local police responding to standoffs between protesters and ICE, as well as businesses barring ICE, and Burkett declined to answer.

“I know you want more detail,” Burkett wrote in a written statement. “We are keeping it high level because these situations vary a lot, and the wrong ‘how-to’ advice can get someone hurt.”

Burkett did offer the following statement as protests are likely to ramp up in response to the shooting in Minneapolis:

“For protests and observers, the guidance is simple: stay peaceful, keep distance, do not physically interfere, and do not escalate. Call 911 if there is an immediate threat to safety. For non-emergency concerns, call the West St. Paul Police Department non-emergency line.”

That non-emergency phone number is 651-552-4200.

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(Photo used with permission)