Ad hoc committee on responding to federal immigration efforts in Moorhead ends after third meeting

MOORHEAD, Minn. (KVRR) — Moorhead will no longer hold an ad hoc group on how the city can respond to federal immigration enforcement, after meeting a third time.

Mayor Shelly Carlson was also the tie breaking vote to end discussion during the council meeting Monday night on an ordinance limiting how the city engages with ICE agents.

The vote was tied at 4-4.

Council Members Heather Nesemeier and Emily Moore had the separation ordinance put on the agenda to talk about ways Moorhead could distance itself from the federal immigration crackdown.

Before the vote, Council Member Deb White shared stories of people in Moorhead affected by ICE actions.

She said a young man in her Ward who is in the U.S. legally and has no record was taken by ICE and held for a month.

White told of another Moorhead man who has since been deported to Laos and has a son serving in the U.S. military.

City Council Member Lisa Borgen says a mass email she received said the city was in a crisis and our people are being terrorized.

Borgen said that is simply untrue which drew a negative reaction from some in the crowd.

She asked the police to escort people out who kept interrupting.

The mayor reminded the crowd for a third time to keep their reactions to themselves and said “this is a meeting, if you could please be respectful, not a sporting event.”