(AURN News) — An NPR analysis of federal immigration enforcement operations across American cities found a significant financial and public safety toll on local communities.
In Los Angeles, police overtime spiked to $41 million in a single month as ICE raids triggered weeks of protests.
In Minneapolis, the police department burned through $6.4 million in overtime in just 32 days, while the city’s total economic losses — including broader disruptions — topped $203 million in a single month.
In Portland, emergency response times ballooned from the recommended six to eight minutes to nearly 18 minutes because officers were pulled from regular duty to monitor federal ICE facilities.
Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara told NPR his officers began reporting symptoms of PTSD. The White House defended the operations, pointing to the cost of undocumented immigrants to taxpayers, but local police chiefs say the issue is not immigration enforcement itself — it’s the methods.
Click play to listen to the report from AURN White House Correspondent Ebony McMorris. For more news, follow @E_N_McMorris & @aurnonline.
