Minneapolis is now beginning to install placards in its squad cards with a list of rights illegal immigrants have when interacting with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents and city police.
Mayor Jacob Frey announced the proposal during his inaugural “State of the City” address in May, saying he believes “that those who are undocumented should be aware of their rights with the same level of clarity.”
“That’s why today we are announcing that Minneapolis police cars will soon be outfitted with language from our City Attorney’s Office outlining those rights,” Frey said, adding that the placards will contain “language detailing a person’s rights as far as they relate to ICE.”
Frey went on to criticize the Trump administration for its “lack of compassion,” but said he would not allow the federal government to prevent him “from doing right by our immigrant community.”
During a Wednesday press conference, Frey unveiled the first “Know-Your-ICE-Rights” placards, which are now being installed in Minneapolis Police Department (MPD) vehicles. The placards note that individuals arrested by MPD don’t “have to answer questions about” where they were born, their “immigration status,” or whether they “are a U.S. citizen.”
“Any information you offer at the jail may be shared with immigration officials,” the placards state, according to The Star Tribune.
Minneapolis immigration attorney Kara Lynum praised Frey’s efforts, saying a lot of her clients “don’t know their rights or they forget them in the moment.”
“So if they see a sign in a squad car it may remind them, ‘Hey, I have rights here even if I’m not a citizen, and I should assert those rights,’” she told Fox 9.
The new placard is just one of many new immigration policies in Minneapolis, which currently has an immigration separation ordinance that prevents MPD officers from stopping individuals solely on the basis of inquiring about immigration status.
Minneapolis is also in the process of rolling out a new “municipal ID” for anyone in city “regardless of immigration status,” and will function as a legitimate form of identification when interacting with law enforcement.
“Right now, cities have to step up and do what our federal administration and Congress won’t,” Frey said during Wednesday’ press conference.
Police Officers Federation of Minneapolis President Bob Kroll called the new policy “simply insane.”
“With 200 shooting victims in the city year to date, the political response is to be sure and advise people who are here illegally of their rights, while in the back of a squad car,” Kroll said. “Thankfully we are less than four weeks from elections and we can possibly begin to restore the safety of our citizens with help at the state level.”
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Anthony Gockowski is managing editor of The Minnesota Sun. Follow Anthony on Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
