St. Paul City Council vows to assist if residents detained at MSP airport

February 2, 2017 at 5:29AM
St. Paul City Council member Dai Thao opened the discussion on Resolution 15-2233, which he authored to condemn Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump for anti-Muslim, anti-refugee and anti-immigrant speech. ] (AARON LAVINSKY/STAR TRIBUNE) aaron.lavinsky@startribune.com The St. Paul City Council voted on a resolution condemning Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump for anti-Muslim, anti-refugee and anti-immigrant speech during a meeting Wednesday night in the St. Paul City Counc
St. Paul City Council Member Dai Thao proposed the measure. (The Minnesota Star Tribune)

St. Paul staff will assist residents if they are detained at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport because of President Donald Trump's executive order on immigration.

The resolution is proactive, said City Council Member Dai Thao, who proposed the measure. He said he does not know of any St. Paul residents now detained at the airport.

The president's order prohibits people from seven predominantly Muslim countries from entering the U.S. for 90 days and blocks refugees from all nations for 120 days.

The city attorney's office will start regularly requesting the names of people who live in St. Paul who have been detained at the airport, according to a resolution council members approved Wednesday. If anyone is detained, the attorney's office and the city's Human Rights and Equal Economic Opportunity Department will provide support and resources to reunite them with their families, the resolution states.

about the writer

Jessie Van Berkel

Reporter

Jessie Van Berkel is the Star Tribune’s social services reporter. She writes about Minnesota’s most vulnerable populations and the systems and policies that affect them. Topics she covers include disability services, mental health, addiction, poverty, elder care and child protection.

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