St. Paul ICE raid triggers demand for probe of police conduct

St. Paul police will face more scrutiny for their role in the chaotic ICE raid last week on St. Paul’s East Side, where city officers sprayed chemical irritants and rubber projectiles on protesters.

City Council members say St. Paul police officers’ conduct at the scene crossed a line, and on Wednesday they’re expected to call for an investigation.

“Every resident of St. Paul, regardless of immigration status, deserves to feel safe and protected by local law enforcement,” said Council President Rebecca Noecker. “My colleagues and I are committed to a full, transparent investigation into what happened, including a review of adherence to our separation ordinance and SPPD’s use of force policies.”

The vote in St. Paul comes as immigrant communities in the Twin Cities are increasingly on edge, with President Donald Trump saying this week he wanted to see the Somali community targeted. National media outlets reported that federal agencies were preparing for an intensive immigration enforcement operation here.

Last week, federal officers arresting a man for immigration violations called St. Paul police to complain that protesters were throwing rocks and bricks. When St. Paul officers responded, they pepper-sprayed observers and protesters and used less-lethal munitions on the crowd, striking three credentialed journalists.

The St. Paul officers’ actions, council members say, endangered hard-won community trust and raised doubts about the separation ordinance that is meant to prevent police enforcing federal immigration policy.

Police Chief Axel Henry has defended the officers, but outgoing Mayor Melvin Carter has already called for a review of body camera footage from the day. Noecker said she wants to make sure that call turns into action.

The investigation will focus on police use of force, which injured protesters and struck three journalists, and how police adhered to the separation ordinance.

The council will also ask for an accounting of the cost of police actions during the raid and protest. Several residents spoke about their concerns around the expense of police actions during the city’s Truth in Taxation hearing held last week, just hours after the raid and protest. The city’s Office of Financial Services will conduct the financial review.

There is no deadline to complete the investigations, Noecker said, but the council wants those probes to begin immediately after the vote Wednesday afternoon. The resolution is expected to pass.

All seven council members said they had serious concerns about how police handled the protesters.

Council Vice President HwaJeong Kim, who was present at the protest, said she was “disturbed” by police officers’ failures to de-escalate the situation, and saw officers use chemical irritants and projectiles “indiscriminately.”

“I support the residents’ demands and the council in getting the answers we need,” said Ward 7 Council Member Cheniqua Johnson in a statement.

“That our communities have been left in doubt about the integrity of our separation ordinance and our police force is a reality that the City Council takes seriously.”