>> ERIC: WITH THE ANNOUNCED END OF METRO SURGE IN SIGHT, CITIES AROUND THE STATE WILL STILL HAVE PLENTY OF AFTERMATH TO DEAL WITH ONCE THE AGENTS LEAVE.

WE'VE ROUNDED UP A DUO OF TWIN CITIES AREA MAYORS TO TALK ABOUT WHAT LIFE HAS BEEN LIKE DURING THE SURGE AND WHAT THEY HOPE THE FUTURE WILL BE FOR THEIR COMMUNITIES.

COLUMBIA HEIGHTS MAYOR AMÁDA MÁRQUEZ SIMULA WAS ELECTED BACK IN 2020 AND REELECTED IN 2024.

ST.

LOUIS PARK MAYOR IS A FORMER CITY COUNCIL MEMBER AND WAS ELECTED IN 2023 AND IS MINNESOTA'S FIRST SOMALI MAYOR, NADIA MOHAMED.

THANKS FOR JOINING US.

WHEN YOU'VE HAD LITTLE LIAM'S STORY.

>> YES.

>> Eric: YOU'VE ENACTED WITH THE NATIONAL, INTERNATIONAL MEDIA.

WHAT IT'S BEEN LIKE IN COLUMBIA HEIGHTS?

>> IT'S BEEN HEART BREAKING, HONESTLY AND TRAUMATIC.

I THINK WE'RE ALL GOING THROUGH THE STAGES OF GRIEF.

DISBELIEF, DESPAIR, HOPE.

AND IGHT NOW WE'RE REALLY HOPING THAT THERE COULD BE A CHANGE.

>> Eric: ARE YOUR CITIZENS SKEPTICAL OF WHAT MIGHT HAPPEN?

>> > ABSOLUTELY.

>> Eric: WHAT LEADS TO THAT?

>> I THINK WE'VE HEARD THIS BEFORE.

AND COLUMBIA HEIGHTS, WE'VE BEEN DEALING WITH THIS SINCE 2025.

RIGHT AFTER THE INAUGURATION HAPPENED A.WE SAW AN UPTICK IN IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT BUT ALSO IN VIOLATING CONSTITUTIONAL RULES, CONSTITUTIONAL RULES.

SO WE'VE BEEN REALLY DEALING WITH THIS AS A COMMUNITY AND AS A SCHOOL DISTRICT THIS WHOLE PAST YEAR.

BUT WE WERE REALLY TRYING TO JUST STAY LOW AND NOT CAUSE ATTENTION TO OUR OWN COMMUNITIES AND NOW THANKFULLY THERE'S -- I MEAN, UNFORTUNATELY, SO MANY OTHER CITIES -- YEP, WE HAVE THIS COALITION SO WE CAN STUPT EACH OTHER.

>> Eric: WHAT'S THE STORY IN ST.

LOUIS PARK?

>> WE HONESTLY -- IT'S BEEN SIMILAR IN A LOT OF SUBURBS, AND A LOT OF THE CITIES THAT ARE PART OF THIS COALITION.

THEY HAVE BEEN -- THERE'S BEEN I.C.E.

SURGES ALL OVER ST.

LOUIS PARK.

THEY HAVE BEEN SEEN AROUND AT ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS.

OUR NEIGHBORHOODS.

AND SO IT'S BEEN TERRIFYING TO KIND OF EXPERIENCE THAT AND TO SEE THAT HAPPEN IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD AND INTO YOUR RESIDENCE.

>> Cathy: CAN YOU GIVE US A SENSE BOTH OF YOU ABOUT THE SMALL BUSINESSES HAT HAVE BEEN AFFECTED?

>> YEAH, THE IMPACT HAVE BEEN GREAT.

YOU WILL SEE THAT IN THE PAST WEEKEND, SO IF YOU'VE GONE TO SMALL BUSINESSES AND WHATNOT, IT WASN'T AS FULL AS IT USED TO BE, BUT I WILL SAY, I THINK ST.

LOUIS PARK RESIDENTS AND I WILL SAY, I THINK IT'S THE SAME ACROSS MINNESOTA, WE'RE REALLY TAKING BACK OUR JOY AND THAT OWNERSHIP OF OUR COMMUNITIES.

I HAVE SEEN THAT TWO WEEKENDS AGO.

I WENT TO LOCAL COFFEE SHOP AND IT WAS FULL TO THE BRIM BECAUSE PEOPLE REFUSED TO LET FEAR DICTATE THEIR LIVES AND THEY WOULD GRAB COFFEES FOR THEIR NEIGHBORS AND THEY WOULD JUST GO DROP IT OFF FOR FOLKS WHO COULDN'T JOIN THEM.

BUT THEY'VE BEEN REALLY INTENTIONAL ABOUT GOING OUT INTO THE SMALL BUSINESSES.

BUT NEVERTHELESS, YOU HAVE SMALL BUSINESSES CLOSING THEIR DOORS BECAUSE OF SAFETY REASONS.

>> Cathy: AND IN COLUMBIA HEIGHTS, SAME SIGN.

SOME BUSINESSES HAVE LOST 50% OF THEIR REVENUE?

>> ABSOLUTELY, YES, WE HAVE A FEW BUSINESSES THAT HAVE CLOSED AND THEY JUST DIDN'T HAVE THE STAFF TO STAY OPEN.

THEY'RE A SMALL BUSINESS, FAMILY BUSINESSES, PEOPLE AREN'T COMFORTABLE COMING INTO WORK AND WE'VE HAD A COUPLE OF REPORTS OF THOSE PROBABLY NOT GOING TO REOPEN.

THAT THEY CAN'T DIG THEMSELVES OUT OF THIS.

WE HAVE SET UP SOME E.D.A.

FUNDING THAT WE'RE -- >> Eric: ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT?

>> YES, AT OUR CITY.

WE'VE ALWAYS SUPPORTED THIS FACADE IMPROVEMENT PLAN TO REALLY HELP THEM INVESTMENT IN HOW IT LOOKS.

BUT RIGHT NOW WE JUST NEED TO GET OUR BUSINESSES THROUGH THIS.

I'VE BEEN ASKING ABOUT THIS ECONOMIC DISFORTUNE THAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE.

HOW ARE WE GOING TO DIG OURSELVES OUT OF THIS?

WE'RE A SMALL COMMUNITY, VERY TIGHT BUDGET.

AND I'M GLAD TO SEE THAT WE'RE FINALLY GETTING THESE NUMBERS BACK OF WHAT THIS COST HAS BEEN.

>> Cathy: WHAT DID -- OF COURSE HE CHOOL DISTRICT, YOUR SUPERINTENDENT HAS BEEN VERY PUBLIC ABOUT WHAT'S BEEN GOING ON.

WAS THAT BY DESIGN?

>> WELL, AS I SIDE, WE WERE TRYING TO JUST STAY LOW FOR THE LAST YEAR, BUT THEN ONCE THEY SURGE CAME, IN, IT WAS OBVIOUS IT WASN'T JUST US AND THERE WERE SO MANY FAMILIES REALLY BEING TARGETED THAT WE HAD KIND OF NO CHOICE BUT TO REALLY GO PUBLIC WITH THIS.

>> Eric: TELL US BOUT THE COALITION.

WHAT DO YOU HOPE TO ACCOMPLISH WITH THAT?

>> YEAH, SO THIS STARTED WITH A COUPLE.

MAYORS GETTING TOGETHER, HAVING CONVERSATIONS IN NOVEMBER, DECEMBER TIME, WHEN THESE SURGES WERE REALLY COMING IN FRUITION IN MINNESOTA AND WE REALIZED THAT WE ARE STRONGER IN NUMBERS.

THAT THEY MAY BE ABLE TO IGNORE ONE CITY AND ONE MAYOR, BUT THEY CAN'T IGNORE ALL OF US.

GET FOLKS ALONG WITH US, WITH -AGREEMENT THAT WHAT'S HAPPENING IN OUR STREETS S NOT PUBLICLY SAFE.

ECONOMICALLY, IT'S HURTING US AND THAT IT'S NOT GOOD FOR THE LOCAL AUTHORITY OR THE LOCAL -- OUR LOCAL CONTROL, BASICALLY, BECAUSE THEY ARE COMING INTO OUR CITIES WITHOUT CLARITY, WITHOUT COORDINATION, WITHOUT ANY OF THESE THINGS THAT WE'RE COMING TO EXPECT.

>> Cathy: SO BECAUSE OF THIS UNITEDDED VOICE, WOULD YOU USE THIS COALITION, AT THE LEGISLATURE?

>> YEAH.

>> Cathy: TO ASK FOR STATE FUNDS?

>> YEP, ABSOLUTELY.

AND THEN EVEN, YOU NOW, HOPEFULLY FEDERAL FUNDS AS WELL.

BUT ESPECIALLY AT THE STATE.

FOR COLUMBIA HEIGHTS TO FEEL LIKE, YOU KNOW, WE HAD SORT OF LIKE THE BOOT ON OUR NECK, AND THEN FOR ME, WHEN WE GOT TOGETHER AS MAYORS AND I FOUND OUT EDEN PRAIRIE WAS IN A SIMILAR PLACE, YOU KNOW, EDINA, BLOOMINGTON, BEING SO DIFFERENT, THAN COLUMBIA HEIGHTS BUT REALIZING WE ALL FELT THE SAME BECAUSE AS MAYORS WE REALLY CARE ABOUT AND PROTECT OUR COMMUNITIES.

IT HELPED E BE LIKE, WE'RE NOT THE ONLY ONES, BUT THEN ALSO, GOOD, OTHER PEOPLE ARE GOING TO BELIEVE US.

WE'RE GOING TO BE RECOGNIZED MORE FOR WHAT THIS IS DOING TO HURT OUR METRO AREA.

>> Cathy: I HAD AN INTERESTING CONVERSATION WITH A THERAPIST THIS MORNING ON MINNESOTA PUBLIC ADIO ABOUT COLLECTIVE TRAUMA AND STRESS.

RIGHT?

AND HE SAID IT'S GOING TO TAKE LEADERS LIKE YOU AND OTHERS TO KIND OF STEP UP AND KIND OF HELP THE REST OF YOUR PEOPLE FORWARD.

SEEMS LIKE LOT ON YOUR SHOULDS, THOUGH?

>> I WILL SAY, I THINK IT DOES BRING SOLACE TO KNOW THAT I AM NOT IN IT BY YSELF, RIGHT?

THAT THERE IS FOLKS WHO ARE EXPERIENCING THIS PAIN AND HARM WITH ME, RIGHT?

AND EVEN ON A PERSONAL CAPACITY AS A SOMALI AMERICAN, AS A SOMALI MINNESOTAN, IT HAS BEEN INCREDIBLLY HARD TO DO THIS JOB, AND YET YOU HAVE FOLKS WHO ARE PART OF THIS COALITION WHO ARE FIGHTING FOR THIS COMOB GOAL.

AND AS WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE I.C.E.

IS SLOWING LEAVING MINNESOTA, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, WHAT DOES RECOVERY LOOK LIKE FOR OUR COMMUNITIES?

IS IT FINANCIAL RELIEF?

RIGHT?

IS IT FOR OUR COMMUNITIES, OUR BUSINESSES, OUR RESIDENTS, OUR RENTAL ASSISTANCE RELIEF AND THINGS LIKE THAT.

AND WE'RE REALLY IN THE PROCESS OF RECOVERY AND WHAT DOES RECOVERY LOOK LIKE.

>> Eric: WOULD AN EVICTION MORATORIUM HELP?

>> I HAVE SIGNED ONTO THAT LETTER?

>> Eric: HOW MANY, 200 AND SOME MAYORS?

>> YEAH, IT'S GROWN SO LARGE AND ONE OF THE THINGS FOR THAT, THOUGH, IS JUST REMINDING PEOPLE THAT WE NEED THIS FOR SURE BUT THERE'S GOING TO BE A PUSHBACK FROM COMMUNITY WHO ARE GOING TO SAY WHY DID WE HELP OUT?

AND WE NEED TO REMEMBER THAT THIS HAS BEEN A HARD TIME AND WE CAN'T FORGET IT ONCE WE MOVE BACK TO THINGS AS NORMAL.

WE HAVE TO REMEMBER THAT PEOPLE ARE GOING TO BE TRAUMATIZED.

FOR A VERY, VERY LONG TIME.

THIS HAS BEEN SO HARD.

AND IT'S HITTING COMMUNITIES.

IT DOESN'T MATTER IF THEY'RE RED OR THEY'RE BLUE OR THEIR PURPLE.

THIS HAS BEEN HITTING ALL THE STATE.

>> AND ERODES TRUST WITH THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT, RIGHT?

YEARS -- THE TRUST THAT WE HAVE BEEN SPENDING YEARS IN BUILDING, ESPECIALLY AROUND PUBLIC SAFETY, AROUND LAW ENFORCEMENT, IS JUST IN A MATTER OF WEEKS HAS JUST VANISHED LIKE THAT.

AND IT'S JUST STARTED TO ERODE AND PEOPLE DON'T TRUST GOVERNMENT.

THEY DON'T TRUST FOLKS.

I MEAN, I'M REALLY FORTUNATE HERE IN ST.

LOUIS PARK, I SHOULD SAY, WHERE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT THAT TRUST ISN'T COMPLETELY GONE, BUT IT HAS -- THERE'S BEEN SOME DAMAGE THAT HAPPENED TO IT.

>> Cathy: AND HOW ABOUT DAMAGE IN COLUMBIA HEIGHTS?

>> SAME THING.

WE HAVE NOTICED WITH OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT AND OUR FIRE DEPARTMENT, CALLS ARE DOWN.

MOST PEOPLE WHEN THEY CALL, IT IS ABOUT SAFETY.

IT'S GENERALLY NOT ABOUT CRIME.

SO WHEN OUR CALLS ARE DOWN, WE KNOW IT'S BECAUSE PEOPLE ARE STILL EXPERIENCING THOSE UNSAFE CIRCUMSTANCES, BUT THEY DON'T FEEL COMFORTABLE CALLING, AND OUR POLICE WANT TO HELP.

MOST OF OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT HAS BEEN HIRED FROM THE COLUMBIA HEIGHTS COMMUNITY.

THEY GRADUATED FROM COLUMBIA HEIGHTS.

IT'S THEIR COMMUNITY.

WE HAVE A VERY DIVERSE DEPARTMENT.

AND THEY WANT TO BE THERE TO HELP.

>> Eric: YOU GOT A LOT ON YOUR PLATES AND WE'RE DE