Hennepin County Sheriff Dawanna Witt is lashing out against Minneapolis City Council members after Tuesday's federal raid of a business on Lake Street and Bloomington Avenue in south Minneapolis.
"Yesterday's incident was a criminal investigation, so putting out the rhetoric that that was a raid, it was not a raid," Witt told reporters Wednesday.
Some council members posted on social media that it was an immigration and deportation effort, which prompted a protest where people in the community clashed with federal agents.
"Elected officials have a responsibility to their constituents to put out accurate information," says Witt. "They don't have to agree with it. But do not mislead the public causing more harm to our communities."
The sheriff was joined by other leaders at the "Operation Safe Summer" event, where Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O'Hara weighed in on the raid. O'Hara said the MPD was not made aware of it - and took aim at the federal effort.
"I think the manner in which some of it was handled was tone deaf for the situation," said O'Hara.
Sheriff Witt says the raid was one of eight being brought against a national criminal organization. She also said she's planning to meet with federal partners to talk about how future efforts could be handled differently.
"It did not look good. I get that and we will deal with some of the things that happened that even I don't agree with, which is why I have an appointment already set up with some of our federal leaders," explains Witt. "That could have been done better."
Witt said the Sheriff's Office was there to help execute a warrant on a drug and money laundering operation, involving a national criminal organization.
O'Hara noted that the issue of immigration is clearly heightened right now, as the Trump Administration and Department of Homeland Security crack down on illegal immigration across the U.S. He says the responsibility for city and civic leaders must be heightened as well.
"I think there's no question everybody learned yesterday just how heightened and how tense the issue of immigration enforcement in this city is," O'Hara said. "That being said, when things are tense and heightened and spiraling out of control, you need leaders to step back, and gather the facts. And deal with the situation that was unfolding."
Homeland Security says the operation was targeting criminal activity and was not part of federal immigration and deportation efforts but haven't provided any more detail beyond that.