"We are all Roseville and we are not safe"

Roseville residents filled the city council chambers, spilling out into the hallway and the lobby on Monday night to give public comment about the impact federal immigration enforcement activities are having on the community.

Upwards of 200-300 people came to the meeting on Jan. 12 to bear witness to people providing general public comment for four hours. This was ahead of a city council discussion about whether to consider additional restrictions on the use of city resources by federal immigration authorities. Almost 80 people signed up to give public comment which lasted until 10:00 p.m.

Mayor Dan Roe took a moment at the beginning of the meeting to issue a spoken statement, offering condolences to the family of Renee Good, denouncing her killing, and acknowledging the fear many people in the community are experiencing. Roe said, in part:

"That was a shocking event and the shock is still reverberating through our lives in the form of a whole range of emotions. That shock came on top of the impacts of the ramp up of immigration enforcement in this area and its disruptions to people's lives and the real fear that it has led to among our neighbors. Whether they are longtime or multi-generation citizens, recent citizens, legal immigrants, refugees, or have other status, people in this country should not be made to live in fear. That is a founding American principle that it sickens me to see violated on a daily basis."

The city council voted to move the agenda item about restrictions on ICE in the city to the top of the meeting and encouraged residents to offer public comment on that during the "general public comment" portion of the meeting.

Community Stories

People from across Roseville representing an array of demographics spoke: young children and teenagers, seniors, parents of students in Roseville Area Schools, teachers, healthcare providers, local business owners, city staff, lifelong Roseville residents, brand new residents, immigrants, Native Americans, adoptees, white residents, and more racial and cultural backgrounds.

It was an evening of emotional testimony about how ICE's presence in Roseville is wreaking havoc, fear, and distrust in the community.

Christa Knudsen, lifelong Minnesotan and newcomer to Roseville said, "the vibrant and welcoming safe city that I intentionally relocated to with my multigenerational and multiracial family is unrecognizable today."

She went on to describe ICE agents using city parks, dining at Roseville restaurants only to turn around and detain workers, people in mobile homes and apartment complexes being targeted by ICE, federal agents driving erratically on roads and highways through Roseville, and ICE agents repeatedly "stalking school bus stops."

"The escalation that we are seeing is proof that current city policy is not enough to ensure the safety of Roseville residents and visitors. I am urging you to implement a strong separation ordinance with haste," Knudsen said. "Today is a time for strong, decisive and courageous leadership. The situation is urgent. In Roseville, we value all of our neighbors. We are all Roseville and we are not safe."