(ST. PAUL, MN) – On Monday, the Minnesota Senate passed an ICE Accountability and Justice bill responding to the unprecedented violations of civil, human, and constitutional rights endured by Minnesotans during Operation Metro Surge by federal immigration enforcement officials.
The package includes new safeguards protecting essential spaces, accountability measures for abuses by federal immigration enforcement officers, a ban on the use of masks by federal agents, and a requirement that the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension be involved in any investigation of officer-involved shootings, including those involving federal agents.
“Minnesotans have endured unprecedented abuse, violence, and chaos from federal agents ignoring state and federal law throughout Operation Metro Surge, and these agents must be held accountable for their conduct,” said Senator Ron Latz (DFL-St. Louis Park), chief author of SF3699. “This legislation provides critical safeguards and protections for the people of Minnesota, while providing strong accountability measures that will let people get justice for the abuse they endured.”
New safeguards and protections included in SF3699 include:
- Protections for daycares and schools, hospitals, and courthouses from unlawful immigration raids
- Extending a ban on the use of masks to include federal immigration enforcement agents
- Establishes a right for Minnesotans to seek monetary damages for violations of constitutional and civil rights by federal agents
- Requires the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension to investigate cases involving the killing of Minnesota residents by federal agents operating in the state
- Requires a duty to intervene so that law enforcement helps people who are injured once any threat has been neutralized
Following the debate on the bill, SF3699 passed on a 34 – 33 vote.
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