Police Union President Slams Mayor's Refusal to Cooperate with ICE

St. Paul Police Union President's Concerns

• 🚨 Mark Ross, President of the St. Paul Police Federation, criticizes Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey's refusal to cooperate with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
• 🎯 Ross argues that elected officials are the primary obstacle to cooperation between local police and ICE, stating that sheriffs and local government officials dictate this collaboration.
• 🔑 He believes it's a reasonable solution to turn over individuals wanted federally upon their release from local jails, as they have committed both local and federal offenses.

Disagreement on Enforcement Priorities

• 💡 Ross questions the argument that individuals apprehended for suspected crimes are not yet considered criminals, leading to their release back into the community.
• ⚠️ He suggests that local leaders are failing to inform federal partners about individuals in their jails who are federally wanted, making apprehension more dangerous for federal agents.
• 💬 The union president emphasizes that cooperation would be significantly easier if local counties handed these individuals over to federal authorities.

Impact of Non-Cooperation

• 📌 Ross states that the lack of cooperation and defiance from local elected officials has tragically led to the deaths of two people, which he believes could have been prevented.
• 🤝 He expresses that local police would wholeheartedly support moves toward greater cooperation with federal agencies like ICE.
• 🚓 Ross believes that if local police were involved in operations, they could manage crowd control and larger situations more effectively, preventing interference with federal partners.

Message to Other Communities

• 🚫 Ross advises other communities not to follow Mayor Frey's lead, calling the approach a "bad blueprint" due to the tragic outcomes.
• 🤝 He urges collaboration and communication with the federal government, emphasizing that federal agencies are not leaving and working together is the most efficient and safe approach.
• 🗣️ He advocates for allowing police officers to