After outcry over federal raid, Minneapolis police memo reiterates non-participation in federal immigration enforcement
After a federal raid in Minneapolis spurred community unrest, the city's police department has reiterated to its rank-and-file instructions not to collaborate with federal immigration agents.
Though Mayor Jacob Frey and other leaders said the early June raid was not related to immigration, the presence of Homeland Security Investigations, a law enforcement arm of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, drew many community members to the streets in protest. The FBI and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives were also involved in what Frey said were actions "related to a criminal search warrant for drugs and money laundering."
Minneapolis police and members of the Hennepin County Sheriff's Office were also at the scene. Frey said MPD's only involvement was crowd control and community safety, and the department said it had no advance notice of the feds' actions. In a statement, the sheriff's office said it was working with federal partners on criminal investigations and "has no involvement in civil immigration."
Following public outcry, Minneapolis Police Department Assistant Chief Katie Blackwell sent the following email to officers and staff on Friday, emphasizing its policies on immigration enforcement:
"No MPD personnel shall respond to any immigration enforcement related activity. No MPD personnel shall assist with crowd control at an immigration enforcement related activity and no MPD personnel shall assist in the removal of persons related to immigration enforcement.
"This is a reminder that all MPD personnel are prohibited from involvement in any federal civil immigration enforcement activities.
"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 designee.
"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 department itself also issued a statement about the message:
"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."
Jamie Holt, acting special agent in charge of Homeland Security investigations in Minnesota and the Dakotas, said the raid was "a groundbreaking criminal operation ... marking a new chapter in how we confront complex, multidimensional threats."
WCCO found federal search warrants connected to the raid at the courthouse, but they were sealed.
MPD's renewed emphasis on maintaining independence from federal immigration enforcement comes as massive anti-ICE protests continue in Los Angeles. The Trump administration has sent the National Guard and members of the Marine Corps to L.A., despite California Gov. Gavin Newsom's warnings that their presence would only inflame the situation.
Note: The video above originally aired June 5, 2025.
