St. Paul expands ICE limits with ID, uniform and staging ordinances
St. Paul Mayor Kaohly Her signed an ordinance banning ICE "staging" and other operational activity on all city-owned property — including limits on access to non-public "cry spaces" — codifying a prior cease-and-desist and framed as a response to masked agents during Operation Metro Surge and concerns about harms to small businesses. The City Council also unanimously approved a rule requiring officers performing law-enforcement duties to visibly display identification on the outermost layer of their uniform and is weighing a companion ban on masks or facial coverings (with narrow exceptions) as part of a phased, legally resilient approach.
📌 Key Facts
- Mayor Kaohly Her signed an ordinance that codifies the city’s earlier cease-and-desist and bans ICE 'staging' and other operational activity on all city-owned property, while restricting access to certain non-public 'cry spaces' in city facilities.
- City officials framed the ordinance as a response to masked agents 'using violence and intimidation' during Operation Metro Surge, saying city parks, libraries and service centers 'are not for immigration enforcement.'
- The announcement was paired with messaging about the economic impact of ICE operations on St. Paul small businesses and a February 'Shop Local, Stand Together Month' campaign.
- The St. Paul City Council unanimously (6–0) passed an ordinance requiring any officers performing law-enforcement duties in the city to visibly display identification on the outermost layer of their uniform.
- A separate proposed ordinance would bar officers, including ICE agents, from conducting operations with masks or facial coverings — with exceptions for disease prevention, respirators and undercover work — but that measure has only been aired in public testimony and has not yet passed.
- Council members and the mayor describe the measures as a 'phased approach' intended to move quickly while making the new rules legally resilient and explicitly tie the changes to concerns about masked, anonymous ICE activity under Operation Metro Surge.
📊 Relevant Data
Operation Metro Surge is an ICE operation that has resulted in over 4,000 arrests of noncitizens with criminal records in Minnesota, targeting individuals involved in serious crimes including gang members from groups like Tren de Aragua.
New Milestone in Operation Metro Surge: 4,000+ Criminal Illegals ... — White House
In St. Paul, Minnesota, immigrants constituted approximately 19.7% of the population in 2019, with significant communities from Asia and Africa, and the city's demographic profile includes 50.6% non-Hispanic White, 17.8% Asian, and growing immigrant populations contributing to diversity.
New Americans in Saint Paul and East Metro Area, MN.pdf — St. Paul Government
Tren de Aragua gang members have been linked to criminal activities in Minnesota, including arrests for ATM jackpotting operations as part of a nationwide scheme involving malware to hack ATMs.
Tren de Aragua members indicted in nationwide ATM jackpotting ... — Fox News
Between 2020 and 2026, there have been at least 16 incidents of U.S. immigration agents shooting at people, resulting in four deaths and at least seven injuries.
US immigration agents shot at people 16 times under Trump's ... — The Guardian
Venezuelan migrants in countries like Colombia, Peru, and Chile are not associated with overall increases in crime rates, with studies showing no significant rise in criminality attributable to their presence.
Venezuelan migration, crime, and misperceptions: A review of data ... — Brookings Institution
Several U.S. cities, including Philadelphia, Portland, and Aurora, have introduced ordinances to limit ICE operations, such as prohibiting cooperation, banning masks for agents, and restricting use of city property for enforcement activities.
Philadelphia City Council introduces "ICE Out" legislation to limit ... — 6ABC
📰 Source Timeline (3)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time
- Council unanimously (6–0) passed an ordinance requiring any officers performing law-enforcement duties in St. Paul to visibly display identification on the outermost layer of their uniform.
- A second ordinance that would require officers, including ICE agents, to conduct operations without masks or facial coverings — with exceptions for disease prevention, respirators, and undercover work — has been aired in public testimony but not yet passed.
- The council and mayor are explicitly framing this as a 'phased approach' designed to move quickly while making the new rules 'legally resilient' against challenges, and tying it directly to masked, anonymous ICE activity under Operation Metro Surge.
- Mayor Kaohly Her has now signed the ordinance previously debated by the City Council, putting the ICE staging ban into effect.
- The ordinance explicitly prohibits both 'staging' and 'operational activity' by federal immigration agents on all city-owned property and restricts access to non-public 'cry spaces' in city facilities.
- The measure formally codifies the city’s cease-and-desist letter directing federal law enforcement to leave city property, rather than leaving it as a one-off demand.
- Her publicly framed the move as a response to masked agents 'using violence and intimidation' during Operation Metro Surge and said city parks, libraries and service centers 'are not for immigration enforcement.'
- The announcement was paired with messaging about the economic impact of ICE operations on St. Paul small businesses and a February 'Shop Local, Stand Together Month' push.