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MN Senate DFL lawmakers introduce 'ICE accountability agenda' [RAW]
Minnesota DFL leaders announced a series of bills aimed at regulating federal immigration enforcement in the state.
ST. PAUL, Minn. (FOX 9) - An ordinance banning law enforcement officials from wearing masks that cover their face and obscure their identity has been signed by St. Paul Mayor Kaohly Her.
St. Paul mask ban ordinance
What we know:
The ordinance, which was unanimously approved by the St. Paul City Council after hearing public input, requires "officers to conduct law enforcement operations without a mask or facial covering."
Exceptions within the ordinance include using masks to prevent transmitting diseases, respirators or conducting undercover operations.
The ordinance will go into effect on March 13 and will be enforced by the St. Paul Police Department, whose leadership has previously said officers within the department do not wear masks or face coverings, except when using a gas mask or in cold weather.
What they're saying:
Following signing the ordinance, St. Paul Mayor Kaohly Her released the following statement:
"We will continue to set the rules of engagement for law enforcement in our city. Saint Paul police officers will never wear masks to obscure their identity, and we should expect the same from federal law enforcement. ICE is causing confusion and undermining the relationship between the community and local police by obscuring their faces. Today’s action follows through on my promise that we will meet ICE head-on and protect our neighbors. I am grateful to the city council for bringing this ordinance forward."
St. Paul uniform ordinance
Dig deeper:
Introduced on Jan. 21, with a public comment period held the following week, the council previously approved an ordinance requiring "officers performing law enforcement duties to visibly display identification on the outermost layer of their uniform."
The ordinance also passed with a unanimous vote and is expected to be enforced by the St. Paul Police Department.
Within the last month, the council also agreed on a new ordinance that prohibits the use of City-owned property, including parking lots, for staging federal immigration enforcement.
Council members have previously said that their "phased approach" to new rules offers "swifter action while providing stronger legal protection for ordinance changes that recognizes the urgency to act expediently while ensuring protections are clear, durable, and legally resilient."
Big picture view:
The council has collectively said they hope the new ordinances "provide clear guidance for law enforcement officers and other city employees performing duties, reduce confusion during interactions with federal agencies and align city practice with existing law and legal authority."
City documents now that the increased requirements related to the ordinance clarify that the "city’s policy is to not assist ICE or employ crowd control tactics during ICE operations" while clarifying that "nothing in the ordinance prevents public safety officials from responding to calls for aid from St. Paul residents in the presence of ICE."
The backstory:
Leaders from both Minneapolis and St. Paul have been vocal about ICE activities during Operation Metro Surge, with both councils signing a resolution for Gov. Tim Walz to sign an eviction moratorium that would bar people from losing their homes while enforcement continues.