What a professional Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency looks like
ICE enforcement this past winter in Minnesota has hit a raw nerve for many people — and for me, as a farmer, it’s deeply personal.
I could focus on the treatment of protesters, the heavy-handed tactics, or the economic disruption. But the core issue for me is the disrespect and outright abuse of immigrants — many here legally, many of them children — at the hands of this administration.
This hits close to home for me because I’ve had long-term, life-affirming relationships with immigrants of all kinds, as an employer and community member. And because Featherstone Farm’s own experience with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) makes one thing unmistakably clear: what happened in Minneapolis and statewide this winter was not necessary. It was a choice — misguided and ripe for abuse— made by leaders in Washington.
Like so many agricultural businesses across the state, Featherstone Farm relies on immigrants from Mexico to get the work done. Thirteen years ago Featherstone Farm was the subject of an I-9 labor audit conducted by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. This was the Obama Administration’s tool for identifying and removing workers who are in the US without proper documentation.
At the time of the audit, Featherstone had about 50 people on the payroll. Results of this audit showed that seven of those employees had given us “no match” Social Security numbers. ICE agents visited us in person shortly after — letting us know in advance that they would be coming.
They arrived in a marked SUV, wore no face coverings, and displayed no automatic weapons. They also wore badges with visible numbers. They were professional, respectful, and firm: those seven employees had to be let go, and Featherstone needed to begin using the newly available E-Verify system. The farm received a fine, which we paid back with interest.
My point is simple: Operation Metro Surge — the campaign of intimidation and violence that played out this winter in the Twin Cities — did not have to happen this way if the stated goal was merely to identify and remove undocumented immigrants. Our own experience proves it. The ICE calamity in Minnesota this past winter was a choice, not a necessity. And it should never have happened.
Minnesota and the nation deserve better, and if elected your Senator, you can count on me to be upfront, honest, and fully accountable to the people of District 26.
