Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee organizers and about 50 demonstrators gathered in Jackson Square Park on Friday to demand a stronger separation ordinance.

Minneapolis’s separation ordinance prevents city employees and the Minneapolis Police Department from enforcing federal civil immigration laws, according to the ordinance. MIRAC, a grassroots organization that fights for immigrant rights, held the protest to launch its campaign, “Real Sanctuary Now.”

MIRAC presented four campaign demands:. no collusion, no crowd control, no cover-ups and not assisting ICE agents.. 

MIRAC organizer Miguel Hernandez said the group’s demands will be taken to city officials.

“I believe that we, the people, should hold our officials accountable to us and our needs,” Hernandez said.

No collusion

MIRAC demands that Minneapolis police and city employees not inquire about a person’s immigration status or cooperate with federal agents “at any time for any reason,” according to a list of demands on their Instagram. However, under the U.S. Constitution’s Supremacy Clause, federal law takes precedence over any conflicting state and local laws. 

Under the Minneapolis separation ordinance, officers are not permitted to stop, detain or arrest individuals solely based on administrative ICE warrants or civil immigration status. 

“Everyone in Minneapolis must feel safe calling 911,” MPD Sgt. Garrett Parten said in an email statement. “That includes calling 911 without fear of deportation.”

However, officers are permitted to inquire about immigration status when it is directly related to a specific criminal investigation. 

“MPD will continue to address crime, especially violent crime,” Parten said in the statement. “Individuals who are arrested and booked for crime may face investigations into residential status, but it will not be the MPD doing those investigations.”

City workers are not permitted to ask about immigration status unless specifically required by law or a program’s eligibility rules require it. 

No crowd control

MPD Assistant Chief Katie Blackwell issued an internal memo in June clarifying officers are not allowed to assist federal agents with crowd control or any immigration enforcement activity, according to CBS. 

MIRAC demands that the MPD protect any person fleeing from federal agents during protests and raids. 

“MPD is not informed when ICE or other agencies are performing immigration enforcement,” Parten said in an email statement. “MPD will not assist in these types of operations.”

No cover-ups

The MPD Policy and Procedure Manual mandates that officers in uniform must wear a badge with their name and number that is not obscured except in very limited cases of ongoing undercover operations. The manual also outlines that protective masks, like helmets and gas masks, are permitted for health, safety and operational needs.

ICE agents reserve the right to use face coverings and wear plain clothes, but are required to carry identification. MIRAC demands that local and federal law enforcement be banned from using any type of face covering meant to obscure identity. 

On Saturday, California became the first state to ban local and federal officers, including ICE, from using ski masks and “other extreme masks” while on duty, according to a press release from Sen. Scott Wiener (D-Calif). 

However, the U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli, a Trump appointee, said in a post on X that the law will have no operational impact unless California enacts a law through the United States Congress.

National Context

Demonstrators and organizers also demanded justice for Villegas González, an undocumented Mexican immigrant and single father who was fatally shot in Chicago by an ICE officer during a traffic stop on Sept. 12. 

“He was unarmed and had no criminal record,” MIRAC organizer Robyn Harbison said into a microphone.

“Shame,” the demonstrators yelled. “ICE out.”

MIRAC organizer Yann Chen spoke about the recent Supreme Court ruling that gives immigration agents in Los Angeles permission to stop anyone they suspect may be undocumented, for any reason, including race.

“If it can happen in L.A., it can happen in Minneapolis,” Chen said.

The protest ended with a march along Central Avenue NE from 24th Street to 19th Street. Organizers in neon yellow vests blocked traffic, while another drove a truck with speakers in the bed as Harbison and Chen led chants.

The Northeast Minneapolis neighborhood where the protest took place is home to many immigrants, according to the Northeast Minneapolis Arts District. People watched the march from the sidewalks as one MIRAC organizer handed out pamphlets written in Spanish outlining individuals’ rights if stopped or arrested by immigration officers.

Sarah Miller, who has attended protests before, said she is not okay with the way our nation treats immigrants.  

“I’m here supporting my neighbors and my community members,” Miller said. “Everyone is meaningful and part of what we have here in Minneapolis.”

Correction: “A previous version of this article stated that Jacob Frey’s office had not responded to requests for comment at the time of publication. However, the office originally contacted was not the correct office for inquiries regarding this subject. A member of Jacob Frey’s team has since reached out.”