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Homeland Security on Twin Cities light rail: What’s up with that?
Posted on Mar 22 2017
Department of Homeland Security officers rode Metro Transit trains on Wednesday, March 22, accompanying Metro Transit security. Their presence was quickly documented and questioned in social media, with Facebook and Twitter posts asking what they were doing and whether their presence had anything to do with immigration enforcement.
Responding to community concerns, the Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota posted on Facebook Wednesday afternoon:
“There have been concerns raised over Department of Homeland Security Agents on Metro Transit today. ILCM’s executive director has spoken with Chief John Harrington of the Metro Police and he asked us to reassure the immigrant community that these agents are not part of ICE. That they are not collaborating with ICE. And that they are from a different division of DHS that helps coordinate security in the event of a crisis. …
“Ha habido preocupaciones expresadas hoy sobre agentes del Departamento de Seguridad DHS en el transporte público Metro Transit. El director ejecutivo de ILCM ha hablado con el jefe de la policía de Metro, John Harrington y nos pidió tranquilizar a la comunidad inmigrante que estos agentes no son parte de ICE, ellos no colaboran con ICE y son de una división diferente de DHS que ayudan a coordinar la seguridad en caso de crisis. Para una declaración completa acerca de la colaboración, su historia y su propósito consulte la declaración de Metro Transit abajo.”
The DHS presence came two days after DHS named Hennepin County as one of the “non-cooperative jurisdictions” in regard to immigration enforcement. The designation came in the first of what will be weekly reports mandated by President Trump.
According to Metro Transit, it’s all routine and has nothing to do with immigration. The DHS presence is part of the Visible Intermodal Prevention and Response (VIPR). Metro Transit has a web page titled “Why are Metro Transit officers occasionally accompanied by DHS officers?” The page says the DHS presence will help to “work with those agencies more seamlessly in the event of an actual emergency or during times of heightened security like the upcoming Super Bowl.”
As Bob Collins wrote in his MPR News Cut blog, “Far from bringing a sense of security, the officers appear to have caused some discomfort for passengers.”