Overview
- Sheriff Dawanna Witt said she is considering case-by-case notifications to ICE about releases in serious violent cases to help wind down Operation Metro Surge.
- Witt has met four times with U.S. Border Czar Tom Homan and described the discussions as cordial and focused on jail release procedures.
- She reported no changes to county policy, reaffirming that the jail will only hold people for ICE when agents obtain a warrant signed by a judge.
- Witt and County Attorney Mary Moriarty warned that pre-conviction transfers to ICE could derail prosecutions and deny victims their day in court.
- Homan urged pickups inside the jail for safety, while Witt sought assurances on keeping defendants in Minnesota for court and pressed for consistent, warrant-based practices across counties.