MOORHEAD, MINN. – The topic of restricting public areas where U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) can access to do their enforcement activity has been tabled by the Moorhead City Council.
Three council members – Deb White, Nicole Mattson and Emily Moore – brought the topic to the table Monday night.
Restricting public property access to ICE, federal immigration authority
White said she was among a group that wanted to limit ICE movement was allowed to.
“I know there are a lot of challenges and difficulties in what we can’t do,” White said. “But (we’re) really trying to think of some of the things that we can do.”
White explained what some of the council members wanted city staff to explore.
“Whether we can restrict ICE and other federal immigration authority access to public property for staging areas,” she said.
The council voted four to four to table the discussion with Mayor Shelly Carlson casting the tiebreaking vote.
Opposition to restriction of public property access
While some members of the Moorhead City Council are advocating for policies regarding limiting where ICE enforcement can take place, others are advocating against them.
Council member Sebastian McDougall questioned the legality of limiting these types of enforcements.
“Do we really have the authority to do that,” he said. “And we’re looking at public spaces. How do we say who can and cannot go to a public space?”
Council member Ryan Nelson had a simple message.
“Let’s leave the law enforcement arena to the law enforcement experts,” he said.
