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City Council Regular Meeting Minutes January 27, 2026 Page 3 1 Police Chief Spiess commented that although the department cannot interfere with Federal 2 activity, if people are in fear for their safety, they should still call 911. He noted meetings that 3 have been held with local police departments and Ramsey County to discuss the best way to 4 ensure public safety while not obstructing Federal law enforcement. 5 6 Councilmember Doolan asked if ICE would have access to public data information, recognizing 7 that the Police Department does not ask or keep records of immigration status. Police Chief 8 Spiess confirmed that the department still has to follow the Public Data Practices Act, but 9 because they do not collect data on immigration, they would not have that information to share. 10 He stated that if someone were to voluntarily tell an Officer they were having immigration 11 issues, the department would not document that information. 12 13 Councilmember Elnagdy used the example where a resident is being detained, and the Police 14 Department does know their immigration status, either because they know the person or the 15 person has their passport, and asked if the department could intervene in that situation. Police 16 Chief Spiess recognized that every situation will be different and, therefore, it is hard to speak to 17 hypotheticals. He stated that the department would do its best to document the situation, identify 18 the agents involved, and work with local and State partners. He noted that Federal agents are 19 under no obligation to share information with local police. 20 21 Councilmember Doolan appreciated the effort of the Police Department, but recognized that 22 some community members have lived experiences that cause distrust in the police. She was 23 unsure how they could build trust with those members of the community or explain what to 24 expect if they call 911 for this type of issue. She noted a recent discussion she had with a State 25 Representative related to constitutional observers and the need for that documentation to be sent 26 to Attorney General Ellison. She asked if the observations and documentation from the police 27 were also sent to the Attorney General. Police Chief Spiess replied that they do not send 28 bodycam videos to the Attorney General and explained how they provide that footage to the City 29 Attorney’s office or the County Attorney’s office. 30 31 Councilmember Doolan stated that all traffic laws and signals should be obeyed when acting as a 32 constitutional observer. She asked for more information on the role of the Police Department to 33 execute and watch for local/State law violations versus not impeding a peaceful protest. Police 34 Chief Spiess commented that there was a situation where a member of the community, who was 35 mistaken for ICE and was being followed aggressively, noting that this cannot happen. He stated 36 that traffic complaints are one of the main complaints they receive. He cautioned against telling 37 people what they can or cannot do in those situations. He noted that there have been recent 38 demonstrations in the community that have been peaceful, and they have been happy and 39 impressed that there have been zero issues with those. He stated that when people are not 40 peaceful, they need to find ways to mitigate that, and it takes resources away from addressing 41 other things in the community. 42 43 Councilmember Doolan encouraged those interested to go through the constitutional observer 44 training, as it provides good information. Councilmember Elnagdy suggested that the City host a 45 town hall where established organizations can provide constitutional observer training. 46