Mark Ross, president of local police officers union, the St. Paul Police Federation, told Newsmax Tuesday that local leaders have "facilitated" anti-police and anti-law enforcement behaviors by Minnesota residents.
Ross told "National Report" on Tuesday that heightened protests against federal immigration enforcement in the St. Paul and Minneapolis area are due in large part to those actions being supported by local municipal leaders.
"I would say for the last seven to eight years," Ross said, "our politicians, political ruling class, has really normalized and really encouraged and sometimes facilitated anti-law enforcement behavior at a lot of these rallies and protests."
Ross said that set the area up for the current level of protests and deadly interaction with federal agents. "And for so long, we have allowed so much to happen on our watch — and we've allowed so many inappropriate behaviors — that now the federal government comes in, [and] they're operating under different rules of engagement."
He said that it has created a level of chaos that doesn't need to occur. "And quite frankly, the residents here that tend to go and protest aren't used to it, and they're being held accountable for their behavior at these functions."
The Minneapolis-St. Paul area has been at the forefront of protests against federal immigration enforcement involving local leaders trying to block such actions, even to the point of filing lawsuits against the federal government.
The fatal shooting of 37-year-old Renee Good after she refused to comply with orders of federal agents, as seen in video captured of the incident, remains under investigation. So far, no charges have been filed.
Ross said local police could potentially help prevent those types of interactions, but local leaders refuse to allow that cooperation.
"Unfortunately, both the political leadership in St. Paul and in Minneapolis have taken a stance where they're not going to allow us to help out at all. And that's been a huge problem for us," explained Ross.
Local police are supportive of federal agents performing immigration enforcement and are frustrated over being stuck in a "difficult place," he added.
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Jim Mishler ✉
Jim Mishler, a seasoned reporter, anchor and news director, has decades of experience covering crime, politics and environmental issues.
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