Proposed DFL legislation to take aim at ICE tactics and accountability

To Rep. Leigh Finke (DFL-St. Paul), Americans have reached an historic juncture. And she believes that Minnesota legislators have an opportunity to reach a bipartisan consensus.

“Let’s stand together as a DFL and a Minnesota GOP and say, ‘No more,’” Finke said at a Monday news conference. “This is the kind of moment in history when we must say, ‘Never again.’”

Finke was speaking of how the state should respond to the actions and policies of federal agents from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP). And why she’s sponsoring two of the 11 bills that DFL legislators discussed at the briefing, each of them focused upon some aspect of how ICE and CBP operate within the state.

The bills sponsored by Finke include HF3412 to require that agents exhibit visible identification and not wear masks and HF3358 to require that vehicles used to transport detainees be marked as law enforcement.

“These are easy policies to understand and get behind,” Finke said. “We should be able to go into the House and get not just the one vote we need to pass them, but countless Republican votes to support these.”

Four bills would keep ICE out of certain areas:

• HF3415, sponsored by Rep. Samantha Sencer-Mura, DFL-Mpls), would require ICE agents to keep away from child care centers;
• HF3435, sponsored by Rep. Sydney Jordan (DFL-Mpls) would keep agents away from school grounds; and
• yet-to-be-introduced bills sponsored by Rep. Anquam Mahamoud (DFL-Mpls) and Rep. Nathan Coulter (DFL-Bloomington) would make hospitals and college campuses off limits to agents.

Three bills are designed to address accountability issues:

• HF3405, sponsored by Rep. Kelly Moller (DFL-Shoreview), would require the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension’s participation in investigations of all Minnesota shootings involving law enforcement or federal agents;
• HF3414, sponsored by House DFL Floor Leader Jamie Long (DFL-Mpls), would give Minnesotans the opportunity to defend their constitutional rights in civil court; and
• Rep. Fue Lee (DFL-Mpls) plans to introduce a bill that would restrict the use of tear gas and flash bang grenades.

Two bills would deal with protecting the privacy of Minnesota residents:

• HF3146, sponsored by Rep. Aisha Gomez (DFL-Mpls), would prohibit the acquisition and use of facial recognition technology by government entities, and
• a yet-to-be-introduced bill that’ll be sponsored by Rep. Brad Tabke (DFL-Shakopee) would restrict the use of automatic license plate readers.

House DFL Caucus Leader Zack Stephenson (DFL-Coon Rapids) sees the proposals as having the potential for bipartisan support.

“We’re certainly going to give every Republican every opportunity to demonstrate that their values are consistent with Minnesotans and not Donald Trump,” he said. “I think we’re seeing not just in Minnesota, but around the country, that this is the age of states asserting themselves. … If we’re not going to fight for this, what are we doing here?”