Minneapolis updates its separation ordinance

The City of Minneapolis updated its separation ordinance that prohibits participation in federal immigration enforcement activities.

Here's what you need to know:

What's new:

• An executive order by Mayor Frey – now codified in the ordinance – prevents Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) from staging on City-owned lots and ramps
• New reports to Mayor and City Council
• Updated training for employees on the separation ordinance

What doesn't change:

• The City does not participate in immigration enforcement
• MPD protects the safety of everyone, regardless of immigration status

Additional details related to the Minneapolis Police Department

As we witness increased federal immigration enforcement throughout the Twin Cities, we are committed to doing everything in our power to keep our community safe and support everyone living in fear of being targeted.

The Minneapolis Police Department (MPD) is dedicated to community policing as a means of reducing crime while building community trust. Therefore, MPD will investigate criminal activity without regard to a person's actual or perceived immigration status. Doing otherwise would have a chilling effect on our ability to provide public safety to our community.

To best serve our community, we will continue to ensure the City’s role is clear and transparent. Under MPD policy and the City's separation ordinance, officers will not take any actions to determine, verify, or detect a person's immigration status, except in cases in which immigration status is an element of the crime, such as human trafficking or smuggling. The policy distinguishes human trafficking or smuggling. The policy distinguishes between the work MPD officers do, such as enforcing criminal laws, and the work they cannot do, such as immigration enforcement.

For example, MPD officers will not:

• Provide information to immigration enforcement agents for the purpose of locating a person solely for immigration enforcement actions.
• Remove or transport people in immigration enforcement proceedings.
• Assist with immigration enforcement at any immigration enforcement-related events.
• Participate in detaining people based solely on immigration status (like during a traffic stop or at a checkpoint) or assist in the enforcement of immigration laws
• Escort federal immigration agents to enforcement locations unless there is a clear and immediate threat to life, serious injury, or destruction of property.
• Close streets when there are no traffic or public safety issues unless there is a clear and immediate threat to life, serious injury, or destruction of property.
• Conduct crowd control when members of the public are peacefully assembling and exercising First Amendment rights, when no threat to public safety exists.
• Mask or shield their identities as officers when interacting with the public. The only exception is when officers are officially undercover for other purposes.

MPD might be dispatched to calls for service in incidents that could ultimately involve federal immigration enforcement. Such incidents may include reports of possible kidnappings, suspicious person calls, or situations involving tension between law enforcement and the community. In these situations, members are expected to act in a fair, transparent, and impartial manner to uphold public safety and maintain community trust.

If there is call for help from a federal agency, MPD will respond if there are threats of violence, actual violence, life-threatening situations, or destruction of property. However, once everyone is safe, MPD will immediately leave the area. At these incidents, MPD officers do not operate under the direction of federal law enforcement.

Complying with MPD’s policy and the separation ordinance is mandatory. Violations are subject to discipline.

What to do if you see ICE in your neighborhood

With increased federal immigration activities, residents and community members are asking what to do if they see ICE in their neighborhood. Due to our City’s separation ordinance, MPD does not work with ICE on immigration enforcement operations and cannot interfere with those operations.