[Music] Hello Bloomington and welcome to a special edition of the council minute on Friday, January 9th. I'm Mayor Tim Busy and I'm very happy today to be joined by Bloomington Police Chief Booker Hodes. Thanks for being here, Chief. I do appreciate it. Like many of you, I watched in dismay the news stories and videos of the tragedy that occurred this past week in Minneapolis where Renee Nicole Good, a mother of a six-year-old, was shot and killed by a federal immigration enforcement agent. Throughout the week, I've answered a number of phone calls and have received many emails about this. Residents have stopped me in the grocery store and even in Target in Edina with concerns about this level of federal immigration enforcement. People in our community are angry. They're frustrated. And many are scared. And and frankly, I share those emotions because so much activity has happened here in Bloomington and in our neighboring communities. I've asked Chief Hodes to come and answer some of the questions and the concerns that have come up. So, Chief, my first question, I know our priority is and will continue to be the safety and well-being of our community. Chief, tell us how you are ensuring that public safety at this time is being enforced and what role local law enforcement plays as it relates to immigration enforcement. >> Well, first, you know, let me just say I know that people are fear fearful out there, right? I mean, people are scared. Um, I fully acknowledge that, but I think now it's time for us to get out some facts. And from our police department standpoint, uh, always public safety and politics don't mix. So, we're going to ensure that we continue to keep everybody um in our community safe. Um, and we don't have a role in immigration enforcement. Local law enforcement does not have a role in immigration enforcement. And I want to there's a lot of misinformation out there on social media regarding this. We don't we don't have the legal authority to do this. And we don't do immigration enforcement. And I just want people to really understand that and hear it from us. >> Does the chief, does the Bloomington Police Department enforce immigration laws? And are are you asked to assist with that enforcement? If you don't do it directly, do you ask are you asked to assist with that enforcement? >> Uh, we're not asked to assist or assist with federal immigration enforcement. If you do see a Bloomington police officer out in a spa space where you're seeing these immigration folks, um it's to ensure like with crowd control, right? So, a lot of times when they're doing these operations, they don't tell us that they're coming, right? Um and they're going into our communities. Uh they're dressed different than us in Bloomington, our police department. We don't have military fatigues. Uh we haven't had those for four or five years here in the city of Bloomington, but we do not assist with federal immigration enforcement. But if you see us out there, it's mainly to deal with crowd control and to make sure that everyone is safe in that. >> Chief, do you know immigration and enforcement customs? Uh do do you know their plans for enforcement in advance? Uh whether it's today or in the coming weeks, do you know the specifics? >> No, we don't. I mean, they don't they don't talk to us. Um they don't have to. And I just want, you know, the public to understand that the federal government, this is uh they're they're solely responsible for immigration enforcement and the tactics uh that they use and when they choose to conduct these operations. There's no coordination. They don't call us. The only time we know that they're in our community is if a citizen calls and makes an inquiry about them being in the community. They they don't call us. So, uh, what what should people do if they they witness a crime or if they are a victim of a crime or if they witness what's going on, uh, that ICE is doing here in the city? >> I think, you know, let me just if you witness a crime, call us. But it's the responsibility of the federal government to conduct immigration enforcement and that's what they're doing. Um, they are not under local control. They are under federal control. And again, I I know people are fearful and and I'm I'm going to say this. I'm going to tell you the truth because not too many people are out here telling you the truth. Um, if you know you are in the country illegally, um, I would be fearful of, uh, them coming to remove you. They've sent a lot of resources here to Minnesota to do that. Uh, this is the focus of the White House and the federal government right now. Locally, as police chief, I cannot kick them out of our community. No police chief, no mayor, no governor can kick the federal government out of our community. Um, and they don't coordinate with us. And I wish they would. I wish they would tell us where they're going and whatnot because that would make stuff a lot a little bit easier uh for all of us and keeping people safe, but they don't. I understand. I I know, Chief, you've been you've been actively engaging with the community right now, of course, and certainly for the past few weeks. Could you talk more about that, your engagement with the community, how you've been working with uh the community at large and the communities especially affected by these immigration enforcement actions? >> So, a lot of people, you know, y'all see me, I'm out there all the time and working with a lot of our immigrant communities. Um, and again, I tell them the truth. Uh, policing and politics, public safety and politics do not mix. So, I'm honest. The federal government has decided that they are going to do immigration enforcement. So if you are in this country illegally, they are going to come looking for you. I can't control it. The mayor can't control it. The governor can't control it. That is the focus of this administration. Um administrations can change with elections, right? And that's the message that I give people. Now, I don't care if you're a federal person or not. You don't get to come into the community and commit crimes. And if they do that, we anyone commits crimes here. We're going to deal with it. But I I'm always honest with people >> and and we always appreciate that. So, thank you, Chief. And and I do want to thank you for being here today and to answer some of these questions, provide us with some clarity on federal immigration activity in our community. Uh we remain in close communication with our public safety partners and community leaders and we continue to monitor this situation care carefully and its impact on our community. Uh Chief Hodes, I know I speak for the entire community when I say that the care and professionalism that you and your officers bring to Bloomington each and every day is so deeply appreciated. If you could share that appreciation with your officers and with our continued prayers and well wishes for their safety and well-being, I would greatly appreciate it. will do. >> That's all for today. Thank you for watching. Until next time, please stay safe. Bloomington.