St. Paul mayor signs ordinance to prohibit ICE from being on city property

St. Paul leaders address ICE small business impact

St. Paul Mayor Her, along with leaders from the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development, spoke about how ICE operations have impacted the local economy. They also celebrated the designation of February as "Shop Local, Stand Together Month."

ST. PAUL, Minn. (FOX 9) - An ordinance to keep Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents off of city-owned property has been signed by St. Paul Mayor Kaohly Her. 

St. Paul ordinance in response to ICE activity 

What we know:

The ordinance was signed Thursday by Her after it was passed by the St. Paul City Council. 

According to Her, the ordinance prohibits federal law enforcement from staging and having operational activity on city-owned property. 

It also restricts access to non-public cry spaces. The ordinance also codified a cease-and-desist letter from the city to federal agents, telling them to leave city property. 

What they're saying:

Her released the following statement:

"When I was sworn into office one month ago, I pledged that St. Paul would set clear rules for federal immigration enforcement. No one could have predicted that less than a week later, Operation Metro Surge would begin and masked agents would flood our city, using violence and intimidation against our residents.

"This action honors that promise by strengthening and clarifying our city’s expectations, and making it explicit: city property is not for immigration enforcement. Our city parks, libraries, and service centers are trusted resources for our community, and they must stay that way.

"I am grateful for the collaboration and dedication of the St. Paul City Council as we work to meet this crisis head-on.

"While we continue to demand the end to Operation Metro Surge, we must do everything we can to restore peace of mind to our residents and bring safety back to our community."