Last week, the city of Minneapolis experienced another tragic series of events as ICE agents killed Renee Good. With increasing focus and intensity, federal agents have terrorized countless others and caused harm to our neighbors, families, and friends, especially those from immigrant and refugee communities. We, at the Minneapolis Parks Foundation, stand with our community and join those calling for accountability and justice.
In these dark times, I believe it’s important to remember that parks belong to the people – all people. Everyone should feel welcome, safe, and belong in our parks and public spaces. While there are real challenges to making this a reality, and understandably many people don’t feel this way right now, I see the people of Minneapolis and beyond meeting this moment with resolve, unity, and peace.
I commend our partners at the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board in passing a resolution matching recent orders passed by the city of Minneapolis to strengthen its separation ordinance, prohibit ICE agents from using Park Board parking lots for staging, research legal avenues for protecting park users, and develop training for park employees on what they can or cannot do in response to federal agents on parkland. Additionally, the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board has established an email address, immigrationmprblegal@minneapolisparks.org, that community members can use to report ICE activity in Minneapolis parks. Please include date, time, and description, as well as a photo if possible, which helps them determine next steps.
In closing, our parks have long served as a place of belonging, connection, and community with each other and nature. My sincere hope is that our Minneapolis parks offer that to anyone who needs it right now.
— Martin Wera
Image Credit: Rob Levine at Powderhorn Park