A group of two dozen protesters derailed a Minneapolis City Council meeting Wednesday to demand leaders do more to support immigrant residents.
They came touting the "Minneapolis Sanctuary Platform" — a list of 13 policies ranging from creating a municipal ID to allowing noncitizens to vote in city elections.
"These are not ideas. These are demands," Adriana Cerrillo, a member of Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee (MIRAC), said after the council suspended meeting rules so she could speak. "We have had enough."
Before the meeting, the group congregated on the steps of City Hall, carrying red-and-white signs and a banner reading "Sanctuary Now!" in English and Spanish. They were joined by several elected officials and candidates including Council Members Alondra Cano, Jacob Frey and John Quincy, and DFL state Rep. Ray Dehn. Both Frey and Dehn are running for mayor.
Speaking in Spanish through a megaphone that was passed back and forth to a translator, protesters talked about their experiences as immigrants and the impact the Sanctuary Platform policies could have.
Gloria Velasquez, who said deportations have separated her family, spoke to the crowd about "U Visas" — visas for victims of crimes who help in the investigation or prosecution of criminal activity. A Minneapolis Police Department policy guaranteeing certification of all U Visas is part of the Sanctuary Platform.
"Our community is under attack," Velasquez said. "We want a line of defense in the city."
This year, Minneapolis city leaders have repeatedly taken stances in support of immigrant residents.
