Hennepin County, Minneapolis leaders back Minnesota sanctuary state proposal

Leaders from Hennepin County, Minneapolis and other local governments are backing efforts by DFL lawmakers to make Minnesota a sanctuary state for immigrants in the U.S. without legal authorization.

State lawmakers return to the Capitol in St. Paul on Feb. 12 and a sanctuary state bill, called the North Star Act, is one of many priorities for the DFL-led Legislature. Under the bill, state and local law enforcement and other government agencies would be barred from asking about a person’s immigration status or aiding in civil immigration enforcement.

It’s the latest local example in the growing national debate about immigration, what to do about the influx of migrants at the southern border, and how to best address the millions of people living in the U.S. without legal authorization.

Minnesota Democrats say they have a new sense of urgency to approve the measure while they have complete control of state government because former President Donald Trump is the likely GOP nominee. Trump has taken a hard-line stance on immigration, promising mass deportations.

“We should take him at his word, and act now to protect our neighbors from persecution by a right-wing federal government,” said Sen. Omar Fateh, DFL-Minneapolis, the bill’s primary sponsor in the Senate.

Rep. Kristin Robbins, R-Maple Grove, said the legislation is more extensive than sanctuary city policies enacted in Minneapolis and St. Paul and unlikely to be backed by Republicans. “To make it a statewide requirement is far beyond what most Minnesotans would support,” Robbins said.

The Hennepin County Board voted unanimously Jan. 23 to make a last-minute update to its legislative platform.

It says the board supports “efforts to ensure that non-citizen residents are assured due process in the criminal legal system, be free from harassment, and supported in their efforts to remain in Minnesota and contribute to community vibrancy.”

Minneapolis city leaders included a similar statement in their platform, and Minneapolis Public Schools and Richfield city officials have also signaled support.

Commissioner Debbie Goettel said the addition was another way to emphasize the board’s commitment to supporting immigrants.

“I think we are just expressing our values,” Goettel said. “We are sending a message that we support immigrants. We want fair and humane treatment.”

Hennepin County and Minneapolis are among a handful of Minnesota governments that typically do not get involved with federal enforcement of civil immigration laws. The North Star Act would make that the policy of agencies across the state.

Members of the Decriminalizing Communities Coalition and ICE Out told Hennepin County commissioners during a Jan. 9 public input session that local agencies’ cooperation with federal immigration agents discouraged some crime victims from calling police because they feared deportation.

“This is a threat to the safety of all Hennepin County residents,” Amy Alvarez Cruz of Jewish Community Action told the board.

Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty and Sheriff Dawanna Witt said they supported the goal of the legislation. Both noted since their election in 2022 that they’ve made policy changes to limit federal immigration officials’ presence in county facilities.

“We want to do everything we can to support people who are victimized so they will cooperate with law enforcement, and with us, so we can prosecute crime,” Moriarty said.

In a statement, the Sheriff’s Office said Witt has backed removing the U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) office in the Hennepin County jail and limiting the use of immigration detainers there, and was committed to supporting legal protection for immigrants.

The North Star Act might be a tougher sell outside of the Twin Cities. Several greater Minnesota communities have seen influxes of immigrants in the last two decades and, sometimes, there has been friction.

Local officials like St. Cloud Mayor Dave Kleis said they’re focused on providing services to constituents, and immigration is outside the city’s purview. But Kleis said he thinks it is unconstitutional to ignore immigration laws.

“We focus on our core services and leave federal issues to the federal folks,” Kleis said.

Nobles County Administrator Bruce Heitkamp said he had never heard of the North Star Act, so he didn’t have a position on it. He noted that the dramatic increase in diversity in his southwestern Minnesota community was a positive thing.

“We embrace it. There have been a lot of wonderful things that have come out of it, challenges too,” Heitkamp said.

If the bill becomes law, law enforcement and other government agencies — including school districts and public health agencies — would not be able to ask about a person’s immigration status or aid in civil immigration enforcement. Ten states have similar laws on the books and nine others have prohibitions on sanctuary policies.

“Any state and local government entity can be pressured by the Trump administration to share data and collaborate,” said Rep. Sandra Feist, DFL-New Brighton, primary sponsor of the bill in the House. “It is going to prevent us from wasting resources on enforcing a broken federal immigration system.”

Feist and Fateh added that the legislation would have no impact on any criminal proceeding or any case where federal law requires local governments to work with immigration officials.

“This bill recognizes and upholds existing precedent, which says that states should not have a direct role in enforcing immigration policy,” Fateh said.

The bill will be controversial with Minnesota Republicans, who have favored a more hardline stance on immigration enforcement. GOP members criticized DFLers last year when they approved bills allowing immigrants without proper documentation to obtain driver’s licenses and sign up for MinnesotaCare, the state insurance for the working poor.

Senate Minority Leader Mark Johnson, R-East Grand Forks, said it was wrong to “make Minnesota a more enticing place to go to avoid the consequences of violating immigration law,” and “unfair to force Minnesota taxpayers to pay for the high costs associated with illegal immigration due to overburdening our social services.”

Star Tribune staff writer Jenny Berg contributed to this story.