By Rich Larson, KYMN News
Northfield Police Chief Jeff Schroepfer says a heightened federal immigration enforcement presence in the area is winding down, with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents expected to complete a drawdown by the end of next week as the Department of Homeland Security concludes Operation Metro Surge.
Schroepfer told KYMN that while many residents remain skeptical, he is now confident the operation is ending following a meeting with ICE leadership in St. Paul.
“You’re skeptical, many others are skeptical. I was skeptical myself until a meeting yesterday,” Schroepfer said. “But they’re talking about the drawdown, which should happen by the end of this next week. It’s started already.”
Operation Metro Surge brought an increased ICE presence to parts of southern Minnesota, including Northfield, in recent weeks. The stepped-up enforcement generated anxiety in the community and placed the Northfield Police Department in what Schroepfer previously described as a “rock and a hard place” — balancing community trust with questions about cooperation with federal authorities.
According to Schroepfer, Dakota County 911 calls reporting ICE activity have dropped by roughly 50 percent, a sign that enforcement activity may already be slowing.
“That’s great,” he said. “So we’re definitely seeing a decline there. Hopefully that continues.”
Some ICE personnel will remain in the region to coordinate with county jails on detainers and related matters, though Schroepfer deferred detailed questions about jail operations to the county sheriff’s office. Still, he offered a straightforward piece of advice: “The moral of the story there is don’t get arrested.”
Schroepfer said Northfield officers had been seeing ICE agents in the community nearly every day at the height of the operation. Recently, however, that visibility — and the calls reporting it — have tapered off.
The chief acknowledged that rebuilding trust will take time. While he believes the department has maintained and even gained support from much of the community, some residents remain wary.
“You go into a business, you deal with the public, and they’re hesitant at first when they see you,” he said, recounting a recent interaction where a store employee initially appeared fearful before realizing he was a local officer.
For Schroepfer and his department, the end of Operation Metro Surge signals a hoped-for return to routine policing.
“We’re fortunate where we have a safe community,” he said. “That’s how we want to keep it.”
Rich Larson is the owner and General Manager of KYMN Radio. Contact him at rich@kymnradio.net
