Twin Cities immigration enforcement in focus at airport commission meeting
The immigration crackdown in the Twin Cities metro area was front and center at a Monday meeting of the panel that has oversight of the airports in the region, including Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport.
Concerned rideshare drivers and faith leaders asked the Metropolitan Airports Commission to do more in response to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement activity at those airports.
"We want MAC to protect us," said Hassan Yussuf, a rideshare driver.
Yussuf shared how federal agents recently approached drivers waiting in a designated parking lot to await calls for pick-up. Anyone driving for Uber or Lyft has to pay a permit fee in order to service the airport.
"Most of the drivers nowadays — if you see the lot, it's really empty," Yussuf said. "Because they feel — even though, myself, I'm a U.S. citizen, nothing to hide — but it's just because of our president calling us to profile in our community, it's just that makes us [sic] scrutiny."
Brian Ryks, executive director and CEO of the commission, said the panel is aware of the reports of ICE in the rideshare lot, and he asked airport police to install surveillance cameras there as a result. He also noted that ICE has questioned some badged employees while on the job, too, before the agents went on their way.
But there is only so much the commission can do in response, he explained. Airport police cannot interfere with ICE and those officers are also not involved in any enforcement action.
"They have unimpeded access to airport property, and so that's the situation that we have to honor because we are governed by federal regulation," Ryks said.
He added that there are ongoing conversations about what is in their purview in order to respond, including with the governor's office.
Rev. Rebecca Voelkel, a pastor at Lyndale United Church of Christ, asked the commission to consider publicizing deportation flights, as is done in King County, Washington, where there are logs of flights to and from that airport. There is also a 24/7 live camera of the runway.
"Now is the time for all of us to do whatever is in our power to do the right and moral thing," Voelkel said.
Patti Gartland, acting chair of the Metropolitan Airports Commission, said they do not get any advance notice of flight operations, including government-owned aircraft.
"Federal laws prevent MSP from restricting access to MSP by public or private aircraft operators," she said. "We certainly are empathetic and troubled and distressed, but we also have parameters we need to stay within.
The commission took public testimony for half an hour on Monday to hear concerns, though the panel did not take any official action.
Ryks said if an employee or anyone at MSP feels unsafe, they should call 911 and officers will address the situation as best they can.