Dodge ICE rules proposal deserves hearing

You know the feeling.
You’re driving down the freeway, distracted by your favorite song on the radio or an engaging conversation with a passenger. All of a sudden, you catch the reflection of red lights in your mirror.
As you pull off the road, you watch in your side mirror as an officer approaches your vehicle. But instead of a properly uniformed and equipped state trooper, the officer is driving a vehicle with no official markings, wearing a uniform with no identification badge, and a face mask covers all but their eyes.
During Operation Metro Surge, hundreds of federal officers with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) have detained citizens and non-citizens alike just that way.
Last month, DFL lawmakers proposed multiple pieces of legislation related to federal immigration enforcement in Minnesota. Measures include requiring agents to show visible ID and prohibiting masks, and requiring law enforcement markings on vehicles used to transport detainees.
But one Dodge County resident hopes county officials will take local accountability one step further. We believe his call for a public hearing deserves their attention.
Mike Sinner has not only served in law enforcement, he has trained federal officers. He knows ICE and CBP agents have not only disregarded the public’s rights and safety, but also their agencies’ own policies. He knows poorly trained officers when he sees them.
Sinner’s proposed local ordinance would require what we see as basic professional standards for federal immigration enforcement across the county. They include: communicating their plans with the Dodge County Sheriff’s Department before entering the county; prohibiting masks and requiring agents to wear body cams and easily identifiable uniforms and to carry only weapons deemed appropriate under DHS guidelines.
While state legislation seems likely to stall—Democrats will need bipartisan support—local officials have an opportunity to at least give residents the opportunity to weigh in on Sinners’ proposal.
His suggestions are not unreasonable or onerous. Sinner wants what we all want, for federal agents to conduct their activities while appropriately trained, dressed and equipped. He wants them to respect the relationship between federal and local agencies. To de-escalate rather than antagonize. To respect constitutionally guaranteed rights.
Given that two people have died and others have been seriously injured by federal agents, this is a proposal well worth serious discussion.