Mayor Melvin Carter

@mayorcarter.bsky.social

474 Followers 65 Following

Mayor of the City of Saint Paul, Minnesota stpaul.gov

There is active ICE operations under way today in Saint Paul. I was on scene at BroTex this morning and am in close communication with our City Attorney’s Office and police department. Though we don’t have many details right now, I share the concern and fear this raises for our workers, families, and entire community. Remember you have rights. We encourage everyone to review the following information for what to do if you are stopped by federal law enforcement, how to safely and legally document proceedings in progress, and who to call for legal assistance. Visit stpaul.gov/immigration-resources. As a reminder, our Saint Paul police officers will always identify themselves. They wear clearly marked SPPD uniforms, display their badges, and, when relevant, produce a warrant. Our officers will help de-escalate situations when possible. And they do not wear face coverings.
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We’re aware federal employees, including ICE and border patrol agents, are converging in the Twin Cities ahead of Kristi Noem’s speech today in Minneapolis. Though we aren’t aware of planned enforcement activity, I understand and share concerns about what this could signal. Remember you have rights. We encourage everyone to review the following information for what to do if you are stopped by federal law enforcement, how to safely and legally document proceedings in progress, and who to call for legal assistance. Visit stpaul.gov/immigration-resources. As a reminder, Saint Paul police officers will always identify themselves. They wear clearly marked SPPD uniforms, display their badges, and, when relevant, produce a warrant. Our officers will help de-escalate situations when possible. And they do not wear face coverings.
I am deeply concerned by workers being arrested on a Saint Paul job site today by masked agents who refused to identify themselves. This kind of secretive, fear-driven enforcement has become a hallmark of the president’s approach—and it has no place in our city or our country. Let me be clear: Saint Paul Police will never be used as immigration enforcement. Our officers will always identify themselves, and they will always wear clearly visible SPPD markers. Everyone—regardless of citizenship or immigration status—has rights in this country. You have the right to remain silent. You have the right to refuse entry to your home without a warrant signed by a judge. You have the right to an attorney. And you have the right to be treated with dignity and respect. Saint Paul is a city built by and for immigrants. We will not be intimidated, and we will not turn our backs on our neighbors.
Today, our Saint Paul Police Department responded quickly and decisively to a call for shots fired in our Payne/Phalen neighborhood, preventing what could have been a far more dangerous situation. I am grateful for their actions and those of our Saint Paul Fire Department in caring for the victims injured by reckless gun violence. We hold the victims in our thoughts and pray for a full, speedy recovery.
Tonight’s arrest gives us some semblance of relief—though nothing erases the pain and trauma of this devastating violence. The targeted murder of Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark, and shooting of Sen. John Hoffman and his wife Yvette, is nothing short of an act of evil. I am grateful for the relentless work of our law enforcement who brought this search to an end without further loss of life. Though this arrest is an important step in the search for answers, it’s far from the justice the Hortman and Hoffman families, and our community, deserve. I am praying for peace and comfort for both families, and wish the Hoffmans a speedy recovery.
I’m heartbroken by the targeted murder of Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark, and the shooting of Sen. John Hoffman and his wife Yvette in their homes last night. That someone would use a police badge—something meant to symbolize safety and trust—to carry out this kind of horror is beyond comprehension.​ ​ Melissa believed in people enough to fight for them—not for headlines or attention, but because she cared. Her work, her wisdom, and her friendship meant a great deal to me, and to so many who had the privilege to know her.​ ​ This shakes us to the core—not just because of who was targeted, but because of what it says about where we are. Sakeena and I are praying today for the Hortman and Hoffman families, for all who know and love them, and for the soul of a country where political violence feels far too common.​