Minnesota finds itself at the center of a national debate during one of the most politically polarizing times in American history. Civil discourse is hampered by strong emotions that mask common areas of agreement. Still, most of us can agree that people who are in our country illegally should be returned to their home countries. And furthermore, most of us believe this current situation is untenable — no matter what side of the aisle you’re on.

This week I hosted mayors, city managers and police chiefs from 15 cities in the metro area to share experiences of immigration enforcement within our communities and strategize how to protect our residents. We learned that restaurants and other businesses are struggling or even closing over the loss of employees who have been detained or because their employees fear being arrested at work. Perhaps even more troubling, several school districts are experiencing significant attendance decline as parents are afraid to send their children to school. We know from the pandemic how detrimental this is and we must do all we can to avoid it happening again. The effects these actions are having on our community should matter to all of us. The cascading impact on businesses, lost incomes and rental evictions will soon be felt across the state.

ICE has been in Minnesota working to deport undocumented people for the past 23 years. But the current Federal enforcement operation in our state has over 3,000 ICE and Border Patrol agents tracking around 100,000 undocumented immigrants while Texas has around 1,500 Border Patrol agents working to deport over 2,000,000 undocumented residents. It doesn’t compute, and it doesn’t feel like this is about immigration enforcement anymore.

Our legal and law-abiding immigrant communities here in Eden Prairie and across the state are now forced to carry documentation, avoid specific public spaces and become educated about what to say and do when confronted by an ICE agent. It’s disheartening to witness the division of perspective around the value of our immigrant residents when our nation was founded on immigrant blood and sweat.

Eden Prairie has been and remains an exceptional community. It’s why we all chose to live here. A large part of our success is the fact that today we are 28% people of color. Our schools are over 50% students of color. The cultural fabric of Eden Prairie is grounded in our diverse cultural perspectives. We also have a history of being a welcoming, compassionate and giving community for which I am so proud.

Many of you have asked me and my fellow City Council members what we can do to come together, be less divisive and show our neighbors living in fear that we value their contributions to our community. Though I most certainly do not have all the answers, I would ask each of you to remember our shared humanity. Work hard to care about each other, greet someone you don’t know with a smile, ask how they’re doing and tell them you’re glad they’re here. If you haven’t already, sign up to deliver groceries or take kids to school whose parents are afraid of leaving their homes. Additionally, PROP Food Shelf needs food and donations for residents who need rental assistance, The PROP Shop needs donated household items, and both need volunteers.

If you see our Eden Prairie Police officers out in the community, thank them for their professional and compassionate service and for keeping us safe. They are in a particularly difficult position and need our support.

Finally, please continue reaching out to the City Council with questions and concerns, and to learn of additional ways you can support those in need.

As we continue to deal with the challenges of this situation in the coming weeks, I want you to know how proud and honored I am to serve as Mayor of Eden Prairie. I will continue to do all I can to help us help one another.

Take care,

Mayor Ron Case