An “ICE Out for Good” protest takes place in Kearney on Sunday, Jan. 11 to protest after an ICE officer shot and killed Renee Good in Minneapolis, Minn, (Jordan Neben, Courtesy)
KEARNEY — Kearney Indivisible presented an open letter to the Kearney city council regarding the protection of trust, transparency and community safety. They also requested the city deny any agreement with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Indivisible is a nationwide nonprofit organization that seeks to empower local groups to defend democracy, take actions on key issues and organize collective action. They have chapters across the United States, including Kearney.
It was noted that over 500 community members had signed the open letter that was presented to the council.
The open letter, read by Brad Stephan and presented to the Kearney city council during their meeting on Tuesday, March 10 read in part, “The undersigned residents of Kearney and Buffalo County stand together to affirm our commitment to trust transparency and safety within our community.”
“We believe government policies must reflect our shared values of equal justice under the law, the presumption of innocence and accountability for all parties.”
“We are deeply concerns about the potential adoption of 287(g) agreements with ICE,” the letter stated, “We are also deeply concerned about their practice of allowing law enforcement officers to obscure their identities using face masks.”
The 287(g) agreements are partnerships between U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and local law enforcement, authorized by the 1996 Immigration and Nationality Act. They deputize local officers to identify, detain, and process immigrants for removal.
According to the Immigration and Customs Enforcement website, 1,511 memorandums of agreement for the 287(g) program have been signed with communities covering 39 states and two U.S. territories.
The letter stated that the 287(g) program has been shown to increase fear among immigrant and non-immigrant families, which undermines public safety and the trust that community policing requires.
Indivisible’s letter also stated that communities that have adopted the 287(g) program have seen an increase in complaints regarding racial profiling, civil right violations and costly litigation.
It was also noted that two U.S. citizens, Renee Good and Alex Pretti were fatally shot by ICE agents in Minneapolis, Minn., on Jan. 7 and Jan. 24 respectively.
It was also noted that local officers who are deputized by ICE are not training in immigration enforcement and this can lead to confusion.
The Indivisible letter also expressed concern over ICE agents using masks and other means to obscure their identity during their enforcement activity. “This creates fear and weakens the very trust that keeps our neighborhoods safe,” the letter stated.
“We respectfully urge the City of Kearney, Kearney Police Department and Buffalo County Sheriff’s Office to reject any 287(g) agreements with the Department of Homeland Security,” the letter stated.
The letter requested that the council adopt a resolution that rejects any 287(g) agreement.
“We encourage you to uphold these common-sense civic values to ensure safety in Kearney and Buffalo County continues to be based upon mutual trust, mutual respect and mutual cooperation,” the letter concluded.
Mayor Jonathan Nikkila noted before the presentation that the council can take no action on items presented during oral communication, but will take the information presented under advisement.
