Here's How Minneapolis Police Handle Immigration Issues

MINNEAPOLIS, MN — Police are continuing to get questions about immigration enforcement within the city of Minneapolis in the wake of President Donald Trump most recent executive orders on immigration.

The Minneapolis Police Department (MPD) has issued a statement clarifying how it handles immigration issues. MPD uses the following ordinance to govern its actions:

The Minneapolis Code of Ordinances, Title 2, Chapter 19 states:

Public safety officials shall not undertake any law enforcement action for the purpose of detecting the presence of undocumented persons, or to verify immigration status, including but not limited to questioning any person or persons about their immigration status.

The Minneapolis Police Department also has a policy in place known as "Police Authority in Immigration Matters."

The United States Code empowers the U.S. Citizen and Immigration Services (USCIS) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Department of Homeland Security, as the sole authority in immigration matters. "This means that state and local law enforcement agencies have no authority with respect to immigration violations," police said.

Minneapolis police added that officers "shall not independently undertake to approach, interview, interrogate, detain or arrest any suspected illegal alien or refugee when potential violation of the federal immigration law is the principal issue. Neither shall any officer independently seek to ascertain a suspected illegal alien’s status."

In a statement, Minneapolis Police Chief Janeé Harteau recently said "The MPD values the contributions of the immigrant communities within the city we serve, and their important role in justice and safety in the City of Minneapolis."

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