The Department of Homeland Security released a list of 20 Minnesota counties on Thursday, as well as the cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul, as “sanctuary jurisdictions” and have accused them of “deliberately and shamefully obstructing the enforcement of federal immigration laws endangering American communities,” according to a DHS press release.
The DHS defines a “sanctuary jurisdiction” as one that, among other things, provides “legal protections for illegal aliens.”
Minneapolis and St. Paul leaders have pushed back against the Trump administration’s attempts to get them to use local police to enforce federal immigration law. They say “sanctuary” policies foster greater public safety.
In Minneapolis, police officers are prohibited by city ordinance from asking people about their immigration status unless it’s relevant to a crime investigation. They also say if members of immigrant communities see the police as agents of immigration enforcement, then they become less likely to reach out to report crimes.
Several Minnesota counties on the DHS list are outside the metro, including Todd, LeSueur and Nobles, which has become known as the most rapidly diversifying county in the state.
President Trump has been blocked twice — once during his first term in 2017 — by the courts from penalizing “sanctuary jurisdictions” by withholding federal funds. In April, a federal court judge ruled that portions of the president’s most recent executive order on “sanctuary” cities were unconstitutional.
The press release from the DHS says each of the jurisdictions it lists will be formally notified of their “non-compliance” and will be told to review and revise their polices “to align with Federal immigration laws and renew their obligation to protect American citizens, not dangerous illegal aliens.”
