St. Paul council delays vote on police force review tied to ICE operation

📌 Key Facts

• On Nov. 25 an ICE raid on Rose Avenue prompted a protest and a St. Paul police response; the St. Paul City Council has called for an investigation into officers’ use of force tied to that federal operation.
• Council members had planned to formally initiate investigations at the Dec. 3 meeting but did not vote then and delayed action; they now plan to ask the Minnesota POST Board to conduct a 'thorough investigation,' shifting the review to a state-level body.
• The proposed review’s scope includes an audit of public costs tied to SPPD’s actions, a review of adherence to the city’s separation ordinance, and an investigation of alleged use of force involving pepper balls, less‑lethal munitions and chemical irritants.
• A community group and local leaders concluded SPPD’s actions at the protest violated department policy, held a Dec. 8 press conference demanding a full investigation and discipline, and called for greater transparency including release of video.
• Community advocates and witnesses — including Michelle Gross and independent journalist Georgia Fort — allege specific violations: pepper‑spraying nonviolent protesters, deploying chemical munitions to create a fog, firing pepper balls and rubber bullets through smoke, and attacks on journalists.
• SPPD Chief Axel Henry said the department first learned the incident began when ICE reported an ICE vehicle was struck, that officers were initially called to draft an accident report, and that by about 10:30 a.m. a crowd had gathered and police closed the street for public safety and medic access.
• Henry characterized the department’s role during the action as a 'rope in a tug of war,' described the crowd as mixed with some people already agitated, and urged better advance communication infrastructure with ICE to help prevent future confrontations; SPPD leadership provided additional context on coordination, timing and purpose of involvement.
• Mayor Melvin Carter has said body‑camera footage from the incident will be released; advocates say they are still waiting for that footage.
• For context, after a separate June federal operation on Lake Street the Minneapolis City Auditor found MPD did not violate its separation ordinance while assisting with crowd control, a precedent cited in discussions of interagency roles.

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