[0:01] Local county board meeting. We will start with a call to order. We do have a quorum present and the clerk will note the attendance.

[0:11] We don't have any commissioners joining remotely today. Correct. Okay.

[0:17] Next up, we, if you could please rise and join us in the Pledge of Allegiance.

[0:40] Thank you. Next up we would be looking for approval of the agenda. Any changes to the

[0:46] one item agenda? Move approval, Madam Chair. It's been motioned and seconded. All in flavor,

[0:52] please say aye. Aye. Aye. Any opposed? No. That motion prevails and we have an agenda.

[0:58] I will take a moment for the folks in the audience and anyone watching at home to kind

[1:03] of lay the groundwork for why we're here today, how we got here today in a special meeting.

[1:09] Last week, the board heard testimony from our staff members in response to a question

[1:21] by a board member about how Operation Metro Surge is impacting county operations.

[1:29] And to that, the board decided that it was in our best interest and the best interest of the residents of the county to send a communication to our delegation in Congress and a few other folks, as we will affirm here, to let them know what the Dakota County experience is.

[1:51] And so to that point, we have a letter to review and consider the approval to send a letter to the Minnesota congressional delegation and perhaps other officials regarding federal law enforcement and the impact on county operations.

[2:06] We have a letter to review and a resolution for the board to act on.

[2:11] You'll notice generally during regular meetings we have time for open comment because this

[2:17] is a special board meeting.

[2:19] That is not part of the agenda.

[2:21] It is not intentional.

[2:23] Special board meetings are very limited in the scope.

[2:26] We can't bring anything else up, basically.

[2:29] Open meeting law is very clear.

[2:31] I look over to our attorney advisors and so that is what we are operating under

[2:39] right now. So, with that, I will turn it over to our county manager so that we can hear

[2:46] about the agenda item. And Heidi.

[2:51] Madam Chair, commissioners, thank you. A week ago, the General Government and Policy

[2:58] Committee directed staff to prepare a letter that focused on the impacts on county operations

[3:07] operations of the Metro surge, the operation Metro surge and also to talk about the impacts

[3:13] on the community.

[3:15] Our communications department has drafted the letter in front of you to draft still and

[3:21] should you choose to make changes that is certainly still available.

[3:26] I think we probably like a little bit of direction about whether we have the right

[3:31] set of folks to send it to.

[3:34] Is that exactly who you want to send it to? Or are there others? So we'd like a little feedback about that as well.

[3:41] Communications Director Mary Beth Schubert is here.

[3:45] And if you need any other information of the outset, just let me know.

[3:53] Very good.

[3:55] Thank you so much for that.

[3:58] Commissioner Fulberg.

[3:59] Yes. So the copy we have here has some red line on it. It's just changes from what it's posted.

[4:06] So if we agree, we should move the amended one in front of us. I can't get my website of your past.

[4:15] I'm coming to the same point.

[4:17] I'm here, Commissioner Holberg. Yes, this is an amended. This is a different version. One of you had a idea to change that.

[4:25] And so we've just shown it as a red line.

[4:27] And if this is the version you'd like,

[4:28] you will have to move that change.

[4:31] OK, with that, I want to open it up

[4:34] to the members for comments.

[4:38] One thing that I will ask, and I know our communications

[4:42] staff are going to take notes on this,

[4:46] I would like to kind of minimize the wordsmithing,

[4:53] if we can.

[4:53] However, words matter, and I understand.

[4:57] But I think that the more important thing is that we really communicate what we heard last week.

[5:06] That this is our board wanting to communicate what we heard from our staff.

[5:11] And so I would start it there and look for thoughts, ideas, and feedback from the board.

[5:20] Madam Chair.

[5:22] Commissioner Heyman-Rollin.

[5:23] Thank you so much.

[5:24] I just like, can I just go through this a little bit, not necessarily reading it word

[5:30] by word, but we, in this letter, expressed, I don't care if that's okay, we expressed

[5:38] our impact, the impacts on county operations and workforce and we had asked our leadership

[5:48] team to give us this information.

[5:50] And we highlighted increased demand on public safety, significant impacts on employees'

[5:59] well-being and safety, workforce disruptions and safety concerns for those individuals

[6:08] being stopped during the process of their work, program and facility disruptions for

[6:16] people who are cancelling their appointments and these may be very significant appointments

[6:22] that are necessary for their health strain on our mandated services and just kind of like

[6:32] public safety in general has had far more strain because of the enforcement activities

[6:42] communities that are going on. In regards to community and I just want to thank our park

[6:49] and rec department, a park department, sorry, comes from the city, from the park department

[6:56] for the work that they did on Friday to step up. Thousands of pounds of food within 48

[7:04] hours to our community. I was so proud of our community and how neighbors are wanting

[7:11] to help each other. So there is issues of food security in our community, isolation. And we know

[7:19] that that's a real big cause of depression and other things like alcoholism and needing to

[7:30] medicate ourselves in order to compensate for that isolation. Increased reliance on our emergency

[7:39] support, we just thank our Sheriff's Department and all that serve in public safety.

[7:50] The education disruption that is happening with regards to our students feeling afraid

[7:58] to go to school as well as having to now perhaps go to a secondary option which

[8:10] is virtual learning and we all know how challenging that is and yet it is an

[8:16] option and then the impacts to our taxpayers because thousands of dollars

[8:24] that have been spent on emergency services and to be able to keep our community safe.

[8:33] And that's going to have an impact directly on you as a taxpayer.

[8:39] So Madam Chair, maybe if you would, could I ask you what our request is?

[8:48] Can you just share that with the public?

[8:52] In the letter?

[8:52] in the letter at the very end.

[8:55] What's currently in the letter is we respectfully request improved communication and coordination

[9:00] regarding federal operations in Dakota County so that local governments can maintain public

[9:05] safety plan appropriately and protect the continuity of essential services, ensure

[9:10] services remain accessible and effective for all residents.

[9:14] That is the current request in the letter.

[9:20] Thank you.

[9:21] Thank you for sharing that and I I would absolutely be willing to make a motion but I know my

[9:27] colleagues would like to probably give some input and maybe even have any text changes.

[9:35] Yeah, Commissioner Slavak. Thank you Madam Chair and actually I was just going to say that I was

[9:41] very, I thought it was a good letter, the draft that we saw that was posted. I also have no

[9:47] objection to the red-lined part in there. So, if it gets to a point within there, I have

[9:54] no new edits to add. But I would just say the red-lined part in there, if we choose to

[9:58] do that one, I would be supported either way on that. But I have nothing else.

[10:04] Okay. Thank you, Commissioner Slavak. Commissioner Dostoev.

[10:08] Thank you, Madam Chair. I got to commend staff. I think you captured exactly what

[10:16] that we heard in the meeting.

[10:18] Subsequently, we also had a couple other notifications,

[10:23] but they fit into the categories that we have here.

[10:27] So thank you, I'm okay with one edit.

[10:30] And again, appreciate all your work.

[10:35] Thanks, commissioner.

[10:37] Thank you, commissioner Holberg.

[10:38] Thank you, ma'am chair.

[10:39] I do have a question.

[10:41] It was this language reviewed by our county attorney

[10:44] and share it. I'll turn that back to Heidi.

[10:50] Madam Chair, commissioners, yes, this letter was

[10:53] routed to both the sheriff and the county attorney and they did not have any objections.

[11:00] And I'm just curious if them would care to comment or I don't want to get sideways with our

[11:07] other electives.

[11:11] No, I had the opportunity to review the letter and

[11:16] And I'm in support of it, and I wouldn't offer any additional comments.

[11:23] Thank you.

[11:24] Thank you for that.

[11:26] Commissioner Drossi.

[11:27] You know, one additional comment for the record, yes, you need to state that we receive quite

[11:37] a few emails.

[11:39] Certainly.

[11:40] And they're in hand.

[11:41] Or the record also, because this is a special meeting, I think it would be appropriate.

[11:50] When can people speak in public comment to the board?

[11:55] As soon as we hear from everybody here, we'll open it up to read, you know, any comments.

[12:05] Oh, okay.

[12:06] Otherwise, sort of regular.

[12:11] I can be clear about that, too, because there's two different approaches.

[12:16] I did want to make a comment, first of all, thanks to staff in two ways.

[12:24] One, thanks to everybody who did their homework and came to the board with what I thought

[12:30] were really professional and clear reports in our committee meeting last week that

[12:35] prompted this special meeting. We heard, frankly, what was more than I anticipated in terms of

[12:43] impacts to county operations by Immigrations and Customs Enforcement, the Department of

[12:50] Homeland Security and Operation Metro Surge. As Commissioner Heyman-Rollin noted,

[13:00] The impacts are wide ranging.

[13:03] We heard from the sheriff.

[13:04] We heard from the county attorney's office.

[13:05] We heard from our physical development team.

[13:08] We heard from our community services team that provides services to vulnerable folks in

[13:15] our communities.

[13:17] And we heard from managers who have had workers hold over and detained during their

[13:27] work days.

[13:28] that's a strain. We also have had and I have taken these phone calls of our

[13:35] child protection line having to check in on families whose kids have been left

[13:40] alone. So these are major disruptions in our operations. They're not minor. And

[13:51] the impacts to community with regard to food insecurity, the fact that kids

[13:56] you know, kids aren't going to school as much as we would hope or expect that they could.

[14:04] And the anticipated impacts to the taxpayers is costing us a lot of money to do work that doesn't

[14:13] help our community. And every project that's delayed costs us more money.

[14:21] Every time we are having to pivot to deal with an emergency caused by operation metro surge, we are taking resources away that we as a board have designated for the county.

[14:36] So I just don't want to understate how significant I thought that these impacts were when I heard them.

[14:46] And I appreciate so much that folks wanted to communicate this to our federal government.

[14:55] It's been a long week since we last...

[15:00] Together as a board. And a lot has happened. And I want to acknowledge that it's painful and scary for our communities.

[15:11] And I appreciate all the communications that we have heard from the community about this. Emails to your commissioners, opportunities to speak at board meetings are still available to you.

[15:25] February 3rd, there will be an open comment period, and I want to be sure, as Commissioner

[15:30] Drosti noted, that that time is available.

[15:34] That said, because the impacts are so big, I want to ask my colleagues if we could entertain

[15:41] a stronger ask of our federal government.

[15:45] I think that what I'm hearing from community is that they want to see an end to Operation

[15:53] metro surge. And that would personally be my ask.

[16:02] If it's not that strong, is there something

[16:04] stronger than communication and coordination that people are willing to entertain? I know it pushes

[16:11] us a little bit as a board and I understand that would look for feedback from my colleagues on

[16:19] the opportunity to perhaps make an amendment to the communication that's in

[16:25] front of us. Madam Chair. I heard from so many residents who genuinely are

[16:37] engaged in building community and many of you are sitting here and I heard the

[16:47] end to the Metro surge was something that they desired to have to enact. And I know for myself

[17:01] that I had I literally got a text message maybe an hour before this and someone said

[17:10] to me two people were stopped on Cedar Avenue. Is this okay if I talk about this?

[17:16] I want to make sure that this is okay.

[17:20] Two people were stopped on Cedar Avenue drug out of their car and she texted me and this

[17:27] person is involved deeply with the American Legion and is a veteran and she said to me

[17:36] this has to end.

[17:39] So, I am getting on a daily basis emails from people and phone calls from people.

[17:48] And of course I just got the text from someone that says they want something to happen here.

[17:59] This is a pivotal time and so I would be supportive of this.

[18:06] Now, I don't know if all of my colleagues would feel the same way, but I know the community

[18:15] is expressing this.

[18:16] And I have to honor that.

[18:18] In fact,

[18:21] in the letter from Judy Finger, she says, I oppose the use of county buildings

[18:25] and parking lots for engaging in DHS, ICE, and staging, and any other use.

[18:34] we're actually asking to end all of this.

[18:39] And so I don't know how my other colleagues feel about this, but I think it's something that is worthy of our conversation.

[18:58] Heidi.

[18:59] Ma'am, Chair, Commissioner, it's just while others are thinking I wanted to correct the record on something that you said that we had staff people pulled over and detained.

[19:11] Just in the interest of making sure it's accurate information, we have had staff people pulled

[19:16] over and no one has been detained. I just wanted to make that correction so we have accurate

[19:22] information out there. Thank you.

[19:30] Commissioner Holberg. So we set the parameters of what this

[19:36] letter was to contain in a meeting when we had discussion around this issue a week ago.

[19:42] And here we sit, you know, we had what happened in our board meeting a week ago where things

[19:50] were brought forward in an unusual manner.

[19:58] I at this point am happy to support the letter that's in front of us.

[20:04] I'm glad that it's going to the governor as well.

[20:08] this is in order for this issue to be resolved. We're going to need cooperation on both ends

[20:17] and entertaining a discussion about adding more beyond that here in a special meeting. Two of our

[20:26] colleagues are not even here. I'm just not supportive of that at this time. I think that

[20:34] the reality is is that the tide's starting to turn. It appears conversations are being

[20:41] had between the people that need to have conversations. And I think that where the county is as a

[20:56] whole I'm not sure is supportive of getting ice out of Minnesota. I don't know

[21:05] what the definition is of ending metro surge but we as a state cannot be moved

[21:16] to a point where we have no immigration enforcement in Minnesota and so I think

[21:25] it's just opening a whole new can of worms in a special meeting.

[21:32] So I'd be happy to support

[21:34] the amended version that's in front of us today, but beyond that, this is not the time or place.

[21:45] Additional comments from members of the board.

[21:51] Madam Chair, could I just

[21:53] emphasize something? I didn't know if you were raising your head.

[21:58] I just want to stress the reaffirming the county's commitment to serving all residents

[22:06] without fear and discrimination.

[22:11] I just think that's really important and I want to make sure that people feel safe.

[22:23] Not in a way that is not real, but I want to make sure that people understand that Dakota County cares that they are safe.

[22:36] And just one point with, I agree with you, Commissioner Holberg.

[22:42] Immigration enforcement is something we've had in partnership with our Dakota County Sheriff's Office for years.

[22:50] And it's gone well.

[22:55] And so there's a return to normalcy.

[22:59] And I think that's what you were suggesting, Madam Chair, that the surge is not what we

[23:08] have done in our partners.

[23:11] When our partners were our federal governments, we're truly our partners.

[23:15] Right now it feels like we're being done, too, instead of being a partner.

[23:20] So thank you. Thank you commissioner and just to clarify that was my ask is to end

[23:26] metro surge not to end immigration and customs enforcement in Minnesota. Good.

[23:33] Mr. Dosti did you have a minute? I just agree with Commissioner Holberg. Things are moving

[23:41] quickly I think in the last day or two and it took us a while to get to this point without

[23:49] changing it again.

[23:52] I think it's important that we move and we're not

[23:55] sitting here with seven people. Thank you. Mr. Slavak. Thank you. And I would

[24:04] have, they've said what I would have said but that was my point on this one here.

[24:08] I feel like we brought a lot of people together. We had the general

[24:11] government and the board meeting that kind of got us to this point here and we

[24:18] don't know what's going to happen by the time we gather again on a week from

[24:21] today on February 3rd. We may have a further conversation at that point but

[24:26] as of today I think that this gets us to what we agreed on to have the special

[24:30] meeting. Thank you. So it doesn't sound like there's additional support to

[24:37] change the letter. Before we move to a motion, I think everybody's been hurt

[24:44] as they've been wanted to. I do want to do two things. One, first of all, I was

[24:49] negligent in recognizing that we have members who could not be here today

[24:56] when you call a special meeting. Sometimes schedules just don't allow for it.

[25:00] And I was asked by our colleague Commissioner Ekins to make note and

[25:05] read a statement.

[25:09] We're trying to be really careful about making sure we're within the

[25:13] bounds of open meeting law here. But Commissioner Atkins states, I am sorry I cannot join you

[25:19] today due to a previously planned trip with my wife. With respect to today's meeting I support

[25:25] sharing the impacts of Dakota County with federal officials.

[25:30] And so with that, I would invite anybody who has information or thoughts to share on the

[25:39] agenda item.

[25:41] People who would be welcome to be heard on this.

[25:43] If anybody wants to be heard, we would limit it to two minutes so that-

[25:48] Madam Chair, I'm so sorry for interrupting.

[25:51] Hey, Monroe.

[25:51] Because what you're saying to the community is really important.

[25:54] But I just got a message that the feed for this meeting is breaking up and people are watching it

[26:01] But they can't understand so

[26:05] if we could just make sure

[26:08] If we could make sure that our audio is clear

[26:13] Madam Chair commissioners, we will post it afterwards and that will be the way to make it clear as you know where

[26:19] our technology is in the middle of being repaired unfortunate timing for it to go haywire.

[26:29] Thanks for letting us know.

[26:30] Thank you, County Manager.

[26:34] Sorry for interrupting.

[26:36] That's all right. I'm just trying to figure out where I was at.

[26:38] You were asking the audience.

[26:40] I can do it.

[26:45] So if you have comments to share on the agenda item, as you know,

[26:49] we are limited to only being able as a board to discuss the agenda item, but you would have two

[26:53] minutes to make comments on the agenda item. The letter was posted online as part of the

[27:00] board packet on Friday and is available on the Dakota County website. And at this time,

[27:10] if anybody wants to come forward, Commissioner Slavitt. Yes, thank you Madam Chair. I don't

[27:14] I don't know if our red line actually the public has been able to see that we might want to just.

[27:20] Yeah, and I think as chair you certainly can but what if we're talking about changing the.

[27:26] We thank you to recall on your leadership but you want to maybe say what we potentially are looking at changing because I think there's a consensus that that amended red line makes sense makes sense just to because everyone who's had access has been looking on the website for the.

[27:42] So we changed a few words.

[27:44] Madam Chair, there were copies in the back of the room.

[27:46] There were copies.

[27:47] Okay, good.

[27:47] Thank you.

[27:48] I just want to make sure everybody was in the loop with what we had.

[27:51] That was good.

[27:52] I appreciate that amended version being distributed in person and it will be updated online.

[28:00] And I appreciate Commissioner Slavak you ensuring that people got a chance to see

[28:07] version that is amended by just a few words within a sentence.

[28:14] Thank you.

[28:14] All right.

[28:15] With that, anybody want to speak to the agenda item?

[28:18] And it's okay if you don't.

[28:25] I see somebody.

[28:26] Yeah, come on up.

[28:28] If you want to just state your name for the record and what

[28:30] community you live in and proceed.

[28:33] My name is Jacob Borealis.

[28:34] I live in Lakeville.

[28:36] And I was late because I needed to pick up my daughter from

[28:39] preschool.

[28:39] And while I was out there, I heard a rapid response that there was ice at an Invergarov Elementary School, which is terrifying.

[28:47] There is absolutely no reason immigration and customs enforcement should be anywhere near any of our educational facilities whatsoever.

[28:55] It's terrifying, and I don't trust any of them to behave responsibly.

[29:00] You're right.

[29:01] But prior to this event, our law enforcement here in Minnesota, sworn peace officers authorized

[29:08] by post, did have a very successful relationship working with federal agents.

[29:13] That is not happening.

[29:15] I was at the meeting last Thursday when we heard from Sheriff Ligo, and at that time

[29:20] they affirmed that that relationship has completely collapsed.

[29:24] They have tried to contact their federal counterparts to work effectively, and it

[29:30] isn't working. They are not receiving any information. Those lines of communication have

[29:34] completely broken down. So I'm trying to understand what is a letter going to do? What do you hope to

[29:39] accomplish with this? We need action. Words aren't going to save anybody. My kindergartner goes to

[29:47] school with other kids who have phone numbers sharpied on their arm in case their parents

[29:53] aren't home when they get off the bus. It's freezing out. They might freeze before

[30:00] Or a neighbor gets home and sees this little kid sitting outside in the cold.

[30:04] We need action. We need you to do something.

[30:08] So please, help me understand.

[30:10] What is this letter supposed to accomplish that isn't already being accomplished

[30:14] by our law enforcement professionals that are doing everything they can

[30:19] within the channels that are available to them and isn't working?

[30:24] Thank you.

[30:29] We have somebody else who wants to be heard.

[30:33] Again, if you could just state your name for the record and where you're from.

[30:36] My name is Ken Berenger.

[30:38] I live in Burnsburg.

[30:39] I am the former director of the Dakota County Library.

[30:42] I know a number of you.

[30:44] I want to stay in the beginning, my love for the state and my love for this county.

[30:52] And I want to gently say to you with respect for these, I can think of the letter that

[30:59] that the CEOs wrote from Minnesota several days ago.

[31:03] They tried to be even-handed among a group of people

[31:05] who were using signs and whistles

[31:07] and a group of people who were using tear gas and bullets.

[31:11] It did not play well.

[31:14] I originally stopped falling into that same trap.

[31:18] I know this has to by its nature

[31:19] be a letter written by a committee

[31:22] and letters written by a committee

[31:24] typically sound like it.

[31:26] I went back this morning and looked at the declaration

[31:28] of independence which was also written by a committee and they laid out very

[31:33] specific complaints including some that are quite reasonable today.

[31:41] He has

[31:41] obstructed the administration of justice by refusing to assent to laws. He has

[31:47] erected a multitude of new offices sent hitherto swarms of officers to harass

[31:52] our people and eat out their substance. He has kept among us in times of peace

[31:58] standing armies without the consent of our legislature. He is combined with others

[32:05] to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our Constitution and unknown by our

[32:11] laws. This is what is happening. Yes, your responsibility relies should be

[32:19] focused on Dakota County and its operations. It should also be focused

[32:24] on its residents who are crying out for justice. Thank you.

[32:34] I'm not seeing anyone else come forward to the dais.

[32:39] Appreciate. Oh, one more. Right. Welcome.

[32:43] Again, just state your name for the record. My name is Heather and I'm residents of

[32:48] Invergrove Heights. I kind of want to say mainly ditto what they so eloquently said before me.

[32:56] I feel strongly that the time for a words, a strongly rewritten letter is just not enough.

[33:04] We really need action on behalf of our county.

[33:07] If you want to tell the residents of the county that they are safe and that they matter,

[33:13] sending words isn't enough.

[33:15] We need to ask for some kind of action and respectfully understanding that two people

[33:21] weren't able to be here.

[33:22] We cannot wait for another week.

[33:23] Every day things change. Those of us that are on the ground that are doing the work trying to help protect citizens of this county know that we cannot wait another day.

[33:32] We need more than words to go out before they're able to be available. It's unfortunate they're not available. Schedules happen.

[33:41] Perhaps there's some way to reach them to get their consensus from afar.

[33:46] Minimally, we need to ask, in my opinion, what I would put forward is that minimally we'd

[33:52] need to perhaps emulate some of the other actions that other counties in the Twin Cities

[33:58] have undertaken.

[33:59] For example, Hennepin County has forbidden the use of space by the public in county

[34:05] facilities.

[34:06] And it said that parking lots, parking ramps, vacant lots, and garages are not authorized

[34:11] for use of staging areas, processing locations, or operation bases for civil immigration enforcement.

[34:17] I could find no such policy existing in Dakota County. That seems like a minimum spot that

[34:23] we should be able to build upon before going somewhere as big as asking for immigration to

[34:29] completely leave to respect what Commissioner Holberg said earlier. There's got to be some

[34:35] space in between the beginning and the end of we can't do anything but send a strongly

[34:40] written letter that effectively it doesn't do anything and we need ice

[34:44] completely gone. What is in the middle ground to tell the people Dakota County

[34:48] that you stand behind us and the people who live here? That was longer than two

[34:52] minutes though. Thank you for your time.

[35:04] My name is Judy Finger.

[35:16] I'm living in

[35:19] I rise to second what's been stated already, I have been out doing school patrol in the mornings,

[35:33] one bus had, let me start over, I spoke with one bus driver who normally has 25 or 30 children on his bus, he had five this morning.

[35:48] at another bus stop. There's usually a bunch that these were elementary kids. A dozen or

[35:55] so. There was one child that was brought by their mother. So our kids aren't going to school. I felt

[36:02] deliver groceries to people who can't leave their homes.

[36:09] They don't want to come to the door anymore

[36:13] because they don't know who's knocking.

[36:18] One of the most heartbreaking times

[36:22] was when I had left the groceries on the porch,

[36:28] sent them a picture, and so it's there.

[36:31] And then I had to come back with it,

[36:33] because I had a second batch of things to bring up.

[36:40] The father in the house,

[36:42] standing behind his wife and three small children, so I'm scared. I'm very scared.

[36:52] This is not the country that I grew up in. These are not the circumstances that I

[36:58] want my grandchildren to continue to grow up in. And yes, taking a stand is

[37:04] something,

[37:07] but we've waited quite a long time to take a stand with two

[37:11] people dead. Another one who has been trod. I am not in favor of not enforcing

[37:19] immigration rules laws but what's happening now is not the way we've done

[37:26] it before and it has to stop. It has to stop. Thank you.

[37:47] Yes my name is Gemma

[37:49] Manzi and I live in Lakeville. I wasn't prepared to speak actually. I didn't think there would

[37:55] be public comment. I went to Commissioner Atkins Town Hall last week and I saw a room filled

[38:01] with from wall to wall people who were scared and angry and feeling unsafe and those are

[38:10] the people who could come to the meeting, let alone the thousands of residents across

[38:14] the cities who don't feel safe to go anywhere. And now we have people like

[38:23] Judy patrolling schools, doing drop-off, filling in services that the county

[38:30] provides because people can't take advantage of their own benefits. So I

[38:37] have to echo what everyone else said. I don't feel safe leaving my house

[38:42] Sometimes I also patrol around schools, observe to make sure that ICE isn't trying to sneak

[38:53] into my kids' school like they do in Hopkins.

[38:56] They try to enter through delivery entrance.

[38:58] They've taken four children from one school.

[39:00] So I agree that words are not enough.

[39:03] I implore you to take action.

[39:05] Respectfully, I feel like it's a dereliction of duty that it haven't been done.

[39:10] Thank you both for trying to do that, but I appreciate it.

[39:16] But more needs to be done.

[39:18] They have been here for two months.

[39:21] This is not – nothing has changed in the past 24 hours.

[39:24] Someone was just killed, a nurse like me, on Saturday, so no, the tides have not churned.

[39:31] Everything is still very serious.

[39:32] how many people have to get shot by mass anonymous agents before action is taken.

[39:41] Thank you.

[39:48] Thanks.

[39:48] My name is Mark.

[39:49] I live in Greenville Township.

[39:52] Thank you for taking the effort of writing this letter.

[39:56] And I agree with you, Madam Chair.

[39:57] It does not go far enough and calling for action is warranted and is necessary.

[40:04] The human toll that this operation metro surge is taking on the people in Dakota County is immense.

[40:09] Not just the people that are afraid to go out and afraid to go to work,

[40:13] but the hearts of compassion of people that are reaching out to their neighbors and taking care of them.

[40:18] There's also a financial toll, and I know that that is something that you all balance every single day in each meeting.

[40:24] It is having a financial toll on our county. You articulated early in the letter.

[40:30] But going so far is to say we're just going to articulate it and not call for action from

[40:35] the federal government that is costing the taxpayers in Dakota County a lot of money.

[40:40] I think that would be an oversight.

[40:43] I think that would be an oversight too.

[40:45] So to say I'm not sure how the people in Dakota County feel about ICE enforcement

[40:50] in the county and whether it should continue or whether it's just going to die out, I

[40:55] I urge you to take the fact that there is an impact just not now, but there will be

[41:00] an impact felt by our county well into the future from this.

[41:04] Our kids who are being traumatized are going to need help to get through this.

[41:09] Not get over it, but to get through that.

[41:12] Thank you.

[41:27] Turn on my microphone.

[41:28] I'm not seeing anyone else come forward at this time.

[41:31] I think everybody for kind and respectful and passionate conversations that you brought forward.

[41:45] My response,

[41:50] I did not know that this was going to come out.

[41:58] When you talk about the fear that people have,

[42:02] I live with somebody who is a naturalized citizen.

[42:09] I made sure that our cars are stocked with immigration documents.

[42:16] I've had to have the conversation about what happens if you get stopped and

[42:28] every time he walks the door my writing won't come back.

[42:35] I've not said much

[42:36] publicly about that because I'm afraid that it'll make him more of a target. If

[42:45] his loved ones speak up and I know others who have immigrants in their family who are doing

[42:56] the same thing. I have a neighbor who hasn't left his house in weeks.

[43:05] And that is why when

[43:09] you say people are afraid, I know the fear. And I know the fear from a place of privilege.

[43:15] I'm white. I'm an elected official. He got pulled over. I could call my member

[43:21] Congress and I know that person would answer.

[43:26] And so people who have less privilege than I do,

[43:29] I know that that fear is just multiplied. I can't thank you enough for standing up for your neighbors

[43:39] and for thinking about how

[43:44] we can be better than thinking about the promise of freedom in

[43:52] this country. I remember being a college student and there was a foreign exchange student who

[44:05] I was a friend of a friend and I remember he was going to go out for the first time and

[44:10] he said to me what documents do I need to carry? Do I need to carry my passport? Do I need

[44:14] to carry my visa. And I remember my reaction to him was, no, man, you're in America. We're

[44:23] free. We're free. So this is way more than I ever intended to say, but I

[44:36] hear you and

[44:37] I understand the fear that they may have.

[44:42] And that is why I, you know, asked my colleagues

[44:48] to consider a more stronger response, as you've requested, to end Operation Metro Search. If

[44:56] anybody wants to make that motion, we can be open to it if people-

[45:00] People are not available to it. That is fine. It sounds like we have a motion in front of

[45:06] us and a resolution in front of us that we can entertain if anybody else wants to make

[45:11] a comment. I welcome it. Sorry that I went on. Madam Chair, our Commissioner Haman-Rolland.

[45:19] Madam Chair, first of all, thank you for your love of this community and for the

[45:24] love of your son.

[45:30] We need leaders like you.

[45:35] Thank you community for stepping up for your neighbors.

[45:39] We need you. We need the world actually. We need the world to pay attention to America

[45:46] because this is wrong. And I spoke last week about what's right and wrong. This is wrong.

[45:54] I would, I hear my colleagues saying that they needed time to be able to digest this and I would, if it doesn't happen today,

[46:08] I would like to see a limitation on checkpoints at our county buildings.

[46:16] Now I call them checkpoints because that's what they do in war.

[46:22] Checkpoints are those staging points that are, they're the same thing.

[46:27] They're the same thing.

[46:29] Because like, I just researched this.

[46:33] No, I'm sorry.

[46:34] I was gesturing to the county manager.

[46:36] Okay.

[46:36] Sorry.

[46:37] Okay.

[46:38] All right.

[46:40] But I think why she's gesturing to me is that you can bring that up today, but

[46:45] you can't take any action on that.

[46:47] We can't take action on that.

[46:48] Okay.

[46:48] And I appreciate that. I want to follow the rules. I get that. But I think, like many people have

[47:00] shared today, this is there was a pivotal point that happened on Saturday with Alex Pretty. And we

[47:10] We cannot just let that go. We must lead. And so what I asked my colleagues, I would like to put this on the agenda.

[47:22] I'd like to have it for today, but that's not happening because I can't legally do that. But I'd like to have it on the agenda for Tuesday.

[47:33] And I don't have the correct words, but essentially what it is is that I would like to not have

[47:43] staging, and that's what DHS calls it, at our county service centers because

[47:55] people

[47:55] come there for public health, people come there for services, and the very people

[48:02] that are afraid to come are missing their appointments. And that might mean life or death for them.

[48:11] And so I take this very seriously. And Madam Chair, thank you for your leadership.

[48:20] Thank you for at least allowing me this opportunity to be able to share my thoughts.

[48:26] I want to see action too. Thank you, Commissioner Holberg,

[48:33] to get a

[48:33] statement rolling. That's okay. So many H's on this board.

[48:40] Make sure that we are

[48:42] back to our agenda item and with that are there additional comments to the

[48:49] agenda item or actions that we would like to take with regard to the

[48:54] resolution in front of us

[48:59] hearing none is there a motion for the resolution we've

[49:02] already done that madam chair I don't believe we have I had a second I made a

[49:07] motion I am I am making a motion but I thought I did that earlier too we have a

[49:14] motion okay to approve the amended letter that'll be the motion the

[49:20] amended letter yes yes is there a second second there's a second and the

[49:26] discussion to the motion. Hearing none. We could take the roll.

[49:31] Commissioner Halberg? Yes.

[49:33] Commissioner Halberson? Yes.

[49:35] Commissioner Drasty? Yes.

[49:36] Commissioner Heyman-Rolland? Yes.

[49:38] Commissioner Slavitt? Yes.

[49:41] The motion prevails.

[49:43] That actually completes.

[49:45] There's a leave now that I've adjourned in front of them.

[49:48] Move to adjourn, Madam Chair.

[49:50] There's a motion. Is there a second?

[49:53] Second.

[49:54] Second. Some people don't want to leave.

[49:56] All those in favor please say aye.

[49:58] Aye.

[49:59] Any opposed?

[50:00] No.

[50:01] We stand adjourned.

[50:02] Thank you.

Board of Commissioners on 2026-01-27 3:30 PM - Special County Board Meeting - Teams - The purpose of the meeting is to consider a letter to Minnesota’s congressional delegation and potentially other appropriate federal and state officials regarding federa

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