February 17, 2025
For those of us in public office, the ongoing federal incursion into our communities has forced a difficult reckoning. We ran for office because we wanted to help our community. But with the full force of the federal government suddenly turned against us, many of us found ourselves asking: What can we do?
The answer is: Everything we can. Even in a crisis like this, when our basic understanding of our country, our rights and our laws is being turned upside down, there’s a lot we can do. And standing up for our community, showing that we have our people’s backs and that our values will not be shaken by a federal shakedown, means more than ever.
I’m proud to be leading a City Council that is taking bold, swift and lawful actions to fight back against federal aggression and keep our community safe. Earlier this month, we adopted Ordinance 26-5 which prohibits law enforcement staging or operating on city-owned property, restricts access to non-public city spaces, and codifies the City’s December 19, 2025 cease-and-desist directive to federal law enforcement to leave City property.
Last week we will took a final vote on Ord 26-6 which requires law enforcement to clearly identify themselves, including their agency, name and/or badge number, on the outermost layer of their uniforms. People have a right to know who is interacting with them and identification is a basic measure of transparency and accountability.
And next week, we anticipate a final vote on Ord 26-7 that prohibits law enforcement from wearing masks - another key factor in holding federal agents accountable.
We’re also taking legal action to get federal agents out of our community, joining the City of Minneapolis and Attorney General Keith Ellison in a federal lawsuit against DHS to end Operation Metro Surge, and defending our strong separation ordinance from federal attacks in court.
Councilmembers have been using their platforms to bring people together for “Know Your Rights” and “Constitutional Observer” trainings. The training I hosted on Jan. 15 at Neighborhood House, in partnership with the West Side Collaborative, drew over 200 attendees from all over the metro area.
We’ve also been hosting a series of community meetings to allow our constituents to be heard and to share critical information with us about what they’re seeing on the ground. We’ve met with childcare providers and small business owners and hosted public hearings at each of our Council meetings to hear more from the public. In addition, I’ve been grateful to leaders from CAIR, COPAL, and the Somali Community Action Coalition for taking time to meet one-on-one with me and share how their communities are being impacted.
When we can’t take action ourselves, we’re calling on others to do so. On Jan. 21, we passed a resolution urging Gov. Walz to implement an eviction moratorium to protect residents and businesses. (The latter group is very important: While we often think about tenants as individuals, many small and immigrant-owned businesses do not own their buildings, and they need protection from eviction as well.) Additionally, earlier this month, we passed a resolution urging Gov. Walz to direct the state’s Public Utility Commission to enact an energy and gas shutoff moratorium to ensure that vulnerable residents continue to have heat and power even if they can’t make their monthly bill.
All of these actions and more are detailed on the City’s new landing page. I encourage you to check it out for more detail on how we’re fighting back and links to helpful resources.
While we in City Hall continue to do all we can, this moment is proof positive that government cannot do it alone. I am continually humbled and inspired by the commitment and care being shown by thousands of neighbors across our community - the fundraisers and clothing drives, the patrols and carpools, the meal deliveries and the rapid response networks, the vigils and the songs. When things feel bleak, the dedication, love and support being shown in dozens of ways large and small across our community can energize us and help us keep going.
We will get through this together, and we will be stronger for it.