What is happening with ICE activity in Minneapolis is a warning for all communities. The recent fatal shootings of Renée Good and Alex Pretti, show what can happen when transparency, clear identification, and accountability are absent from law enforcement activity.
Local government has a clear responsibility: to protect the safety, rights, and civil liberties of every person in our community. Public safety does not come from fear. It comes from trust — trust that law enforcement is acting lawfully, transparently, and with respect for human dignity.
We support the Ottawa County Sheriff’s Office’s stated position that local deputies do not engage in civil immigration enforcement and that their mission is the safety of everyone who lives in, works in, or visits Ottawa County.
Victims and witnesses must be able to come forward without fear of immigration consequences. That is not political — it is essential to effective policing.
Here in Ottawa County, we expect our county and municipal leaders to actively safeguard civil liberties, insist on accountability, and exercise local discretion in ways that protect human dignity.
Accountability is not anti-law enforcement. It is pro-community, pro-safety, and pro-justice. That is the standard we will continue to demand.
