Dozens of ICE Vehicles in Minnesota Lack 'Necessary' Lights and Sirens

A contract justification published in a federal register on Tuesday says that 31 ICE vehicles operating in the Twin Cities area "lack the necessary emergency lights and sirens" to be "compliant." Paul area "currently lack the necessary emergency lights and sirens" required to be "compliant with law enforcement requirements," according to a contract justification published in a federal register on Tuesday. The document justifies ICE paying Whelen Engineering Company, a Connecticut-based firm specializing in "emergency warning and lighting technology," $47,330.49 The document explains that the ATLAS kits would "allow vehicles to be immediately operational and compliant with law enforcement requirements to support the current surge operation" out of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI)'s St. Paul office, which conducts operations in Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota. "These vehicles were deployed prior to being permanently retrofitted and currently lack the necessary emergency lights and sirens required for operational use," the document says.