January 14-15, 2026 Council Meeting: Right after Metro Surge, nearly 25 residents packed City Hall demanding a formal resolution prohibiting ICE detention facilities. Woodbury Indivisible organized a press conference requesting binding policy action, not just statements. (Source: Woodbury News Net, January 15, 2026)
April 23, 2026 Council Meeting: Four months later, residents returned with a community-drafted resolution signed by 150+ residents. Susan Asplund presented the petition asking for formal policy. Mayor Burt refused to put it to a vote. The council "swiftly moved to the consent agenda" without voting. Instead, the city issued only a non-binding proclamation. (Source: Woodbury News Net, April 23, 2026)
Resident Susan Asplund's Direct Critique: "A proclamation is not policy. It creates no obligation, no sense of protection and no meaningful change."
The Pattern: When residents ask for binding policy, Mayor Burt's council refuses to vote. When community pressure mounts, she issues feel-good statements instead of real action. That's the difference between leadership and political theater.
Real leadership on ICE means: allowing residents to formally vote on a resolution restricting city property for federal immigration enforcement—not just issuing proclamations that create "no obligation, no sense of protection and no meaningful change."
John Sebastian authored the ICE detention moratorium resolution that Mayor Burt blocked from a vote. At the LWV forum, he directly challenged the sitting council for refusing to allow residents to vote on ICE-related resolutions, despite the city's public claims of opposition.
Sebastian's Position: Transparent governance. Formal votes. Letting residents decide. No more political theater—binding policy that protects immigrant communities.
Goal: Document and raise awareness about ICE enforcement operations ("Metro Surge") that took place in January 2026, and their connection to surveillance infrastructure like ALPR cameras.
Key Issues: Immigration enforcement using surveillance technology (Flock ALPR cameras), community impact on immigrant families, deportation threats, cooperation between local law enforcement and federal immigration agencies.
Status: Active documentation and community support for affected families and communities.
Operation Metro Surge was an ICE enforcement operation that targeted undocumented immigrants across the Minnesota metropolitan area in January 2026. The operation resulted in mass arrests and separated families from their homes and livelihoods.
Key Facts:
Metro Surge represents a concrete example of how ALPR surveillance technology (like Flock cameras) is used for immigration enforcement. The Deflock Woodbury campaign documents these same cameras in our community.
How it works:
This is not hypothetical—Metro Surge shows this is happening RIGHT NOW in our region.
The human cost of Metro Surge and similar operations:
How you can help affected families and communities: