On Monday, April 28, President Donald Trump signed two new executive orders that would target sanctuary cities and direct law enforcement to pursue legal action against state or local officials accused of “obstructing criminal or immigration law enforcement.”
The executive orders have no legal basis and are simply examples of this administration’s attacks on the integrity of the U.S. Constitution and the rule of law. These attempts to bully cities and states into submission are not new. Just this month, a federal judge barred the Trump administration from denying or conditioning the use of federal funds to sanctuary jurisdictions.
Minnesota law limits local law enforcement’s ability to enforce civil immigration law and they are prohibited from holding people for immigration authorities without an arrest warrant signed by a judge. Cities and counties that have proactive policies in this area are striving to ensure our communities are safe, fair, and humane. It is common sense to prioritize our limited city and county resources — including taxpayer monies, city and county staff, and police — to support local needs. It is also common sense to foster trust in local law enforcement by immigrants because fear and distrust harms public safety.
President Trump does not control the hundreds of local law enforcement agencies across Minnesota. That authority remains, appropriately, with Minnesotans, who must continue pushing for reforms that protect everyone’s rights and improve public safety.