NEW ULM — Brown County Human Services Director Anne Broskoff and Brown County Commissioner Dave Borchert shared a number of county program funding and immigration and customs enforcement (ICE) concerns they’ve heard from Brown County residents at the Tuesday county board meeting.

Broskoff mentioned concerns heard from residents and county staff.

“We’re beginning to see some effects in our community related to recent immigration and customs enforcement (ICE) activity occurring in Minnesota,” she said. “We’ve heard that some families are hesitant to visit county officers or access programs and services. We heard reports of families keeping children at home from school or avoiding community-based resources.”

Broskoff said certain county staff members have expressed concern about visiting homes and or transporting clients, citing uncertainty about potential interactions during enforcement activity.

She said a some county staff shared worries about personal safety or the well-being of their own families.

“At this time, we are monitoring these developments closely, working to ensure that essential services remain accessible and that staff feel supported.” said Broskoff. “Our priority continues to be the safety and well-being of all residents and employees. It’s a pretty dynamic situation in terms of what happens every week in terms of lawsuits and temporary restraining orders.:”

She said the latest news is that the USDA has suspended some of our SNAP (Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program) funding that affects some social service block grant funding that pays for child protection staff.

“We understand that due to temporary injunctions, money is flowing at this point but I think we’re still at risk of funding being cut from the federal government. If it does, it would be catastrophic for our operations and the people we serve for sure,” said Broskoff. “It’s a very complicated matter, but I’m trying to stay on top of it as best I can.”

Broskoff said she would bring to the board any more related information she learns about. She said links for more information include the Minnesota Attorney General’s Office and the ACLU (American Civil Liberties Union).

Commissioner Dave Borchert said he has had conversations with a New Ulm woman born in Watonwan County who said she’s so afraid to leave her residence, she carries her passport and Enhanced ID driver’s license with her when she leaves home.

“She told me she’s afraid of getting stopped for her skin color, roughed up, and ending up in Texas,” said Borchert. “She told me she can’t live without her medication. I find people with fears like this concerning.”

He said he recently provided information dealing with immigration enforcement activity with the New Ulm Human Rights Commission and to a reporter for a recent story about how to deal with the issue that appeared in The Journal.

Commissioner Brian Braun thanked Broskoff and Borchert for bringing immigration and county staff fears to the board’s attention.

“I think that we as a board need to make sure we can provide training and information to ensure we’re providing for the safety of our residents and any public employees,” he said.