St. Paul weighs ban on ICE staging on city property
St. Paul is considering an ordinance that would write its "separation" policy into city code and explicitly bar federal immigration agents from staging enforcement operations on city-owned property, including parking lots and facilities, except in narrow circumstances. The proposal would restrict local law enforcement from assisting with immigration-only operations and clarifies when city staff may share information or cooperate, tightening rules that have so far lived mostly in policy documents. The move comes amid the Trump administration’s Operation Metro Surge, which has brought hundreds of ICE and Border Patrol officers into the Twin Cities, and follows documented incidents of federal agents using local lots and spaces as launch points for raids. Supporters on the council and in immigrant communities say the ordinance is needed to keep city property from being turned into federal staging grounds and to reassure residents that St. Paul police are not acting as an arm of ICE, while critics warn it could deepen conflict with federal agencies. Debate over the measure is expected to focus on how far the city can go without jeopardizing grants or violating federal law, and how it will be enforced on the ground with St. Paul police and Public Works staff.
📌 Key Facts
- St. Paul is advancing an ordinance update to its separation policy that would ban law-enforcement staging for immigration enforcement on city-owned property.
- The measure defines and limits how city departments, including St. Paul Police, can assist ICE and similar agencies, codifying policy instead of relying on internal guidance.
- The proposal is being debated while DHS’s Operation Metro Surge is active in the Twin Cities, with local reports of federal agents using municipal lots as bases for raids.
📊 Relevant Data
Operation Metro Surge in the Twin Cities targets criminal illegal aliens, including pedophiles, rapists, and violent thugs, with over 400 arrests reported by ICE in Minnesota as of December 2025.
ICE Arrests the Worst of the Worst Criminal Illegal Aliens Including Pedophiles, Rapists, and Violent Thugs — Department of Homeland Security
Somali immigrants in Minnesota have higher rates of involvement in public benefits fraud compared to natives, with a longitudinal study from 2018-2025 showing evolution in fraud patterns within the community.
Somali gangs pose a real threat in Minnesota, with the FBI taking action as reported in July 2025.
Somali gangs are a real threat in Minnesota. Yet, no one in the Minnesota media is reporting on it. — Facebook - Rep. Tom Emmer
Tren de Aragua, a Venezuelan gang, has members arrested in the US for crimes including murder, theft, and human trafficking, though its presence is smaller than claimed, with operations in 16 states as of November 2024.
Venezuelan migrant gang Tren de Aragua now operating in 16 states — Fox News
Somali Minnesotans contribute approximately $67 million annually in state and local taxes and drive $8 billion in economic growth.
Economist: Immigrants contribute $26 billion to Minnesota's economy — MPR News
Minnesota is home to over 80,000 ethnic Somalis, the largest community outside of Africa, resulting from resettlement policies since the 1990s due to the Somali civil war.
How Minnesota became the center of the Somali diaspora — Sahan Journal
The foreign-born population in Minnesota grew from 428,000 in 2014 to 524,000 in 2024, with African immigrants showing a 78.8% increase between 2013 and 2023.
The Growth and Impact of Minnesota's Foreign-Born Workforce — Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development
In St. Paul, about 49.4% of residents were people of color (BIPOC) based on 2019–2023 averages, reflecting demographic diversification.
State demographer: Saint Paul's post‑2010 growth has leveled off as population ages and diversifies — Citizen Portal AI
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