Nearly nine months after passing a resolution declaring "support for refugees and immigrants," Brooklyn Park city leaders are taking stock of headway made and actions taken.
At a City Council meeting this week, staff pointed to markers of progress, from "All are welcome" signs created to hang in city buildings to tweaks to the police department's policy on immigration enforcement.
Council Member Susan Pha first proposed the resolution in February as a way to respond to mounting fears among community members over President Donald Trump's efforts to impose restrictions on immigration. Brooklyn Park is one of the most diverse cities in the state, with 1 in 5 residents born in a foreign country.
"Anxiety of the unknown continues to exist within our community," Assistant City Manager Wokie Freeman-Gbogba told council members Monday.
The resolution initially was met with pushback at City Hall, with city leaders first tabling the proposal amid questions about its language and whether it promoted meaningful action. The resolution had come under fire as being a "feel-good piece of paper."
Other cities, including Brooklyn Center, Richfield and St. Louis Park, have passed similar resolutions.
The Brooklyn Park proposal spurred weeks of debate and community meetings before council members passed it in March — with action steps attached.
"Some of those meetings became very emotional and sometimes pretty tense," Police Chief Craig Enevoldsen said Monday. "The police policy really became a focal point of the community."
