Stillwater Commission Opposes ICE Cooperation
- scvindivisible
- 55 minutes ago
- 3 min read
The Stillwater Human Rights Commission (HRC) has passed a resolution regarding how the City deals with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and has recommended the resolution to the Stillwater City Council.
This resolution:
prohibits 287(g) agreements1 between Stillwater City and ICE,
prohibits using city resources to support a 287(g) program,
protects sensitive information like billing records and building permits, and
prohibits city staff (including police) from participating in ICE raids without a valid judicial warrant.
We applaud the Stillwater Human Rights Commission for taking this courageous and timely action. The vote was unanimous with one abstention. We also applaud the 35 concerned citizens who showed up at that meeting and expressed their support for the resolution.
ICE is currently in Twin Cities metro communities. We believe that to be silent in times like these is to be complicit. While we can't control where and when ICE shows up, we can be prepared.
We urge you to tell city leadership to commit to not signing 287(g) agreements. These agreements with ICE give local police and other city personnel federal immigration enforcement powers and are arguably unconstitutional. Furthermore, they divert local resources and erode public trust in local policing. Currently, 338 cities and over 800 counties across the U.S. have signed 287(g) agreements, including nine counties in northern Minnesota.
The HRC resolution now goes to the Stillwater City Council. Based on our observations, it may face resistance. It is possible that some in city leadership would prefer the resolution to die quietly by tabling it indefinitely or dragging out the review process. However, if residents show up and demand action, it will be extremely difficult for the council to sit on this.
Here's Our Ask
Stillwater Residents: Attend the City Council meeting on Tuesday, December 16th at 7 p.m. The meeting is at City Hall, 216 4th St. N., Stillwater.
The resolution may or may not be on the council's agenda, but our goal is to pack the room. Stillwater residents may choose to make a comment during the open forum. You’ll be asked to introduce yourself and give your address. Comments should be 5 minutes or less.
While we encourage you to personalize your comments, we suggest you include these specific points to make your views clear and to hold the city council accountable:
I am in favor of a resolution that prohibits 287(g) agreements between the City of Stillwater and ICE.
Ask the City Council to:
Please describe the next steps in deliberating on the draft resolution.
Please tell me when we can expect those steps to be completed.
You might also ask: Please share your evidence-based concerns why the city shouldn't formally resolve not to support, facilitate, or implement a 287(g) program in Stillwater.
Non-Stillwater Residents: Be Proactive! In addition to attending the council meeting (note that non-Stillwater Residents may not speak at the meeting), encourage your city leadership to pass a similar resolution. If we can do this in other cities and towns, we will be making a statement that our communities welcome immigrants and that we are working to make our neighborhoods safe for immigrants.
You can take action on your own by contacting your city council and sharing what Stillwater has done. In addition, SCVI has resources that can help. For example, we can put you in touch with the people who have worked on the Stillwater resolution for advice and for answering questions. We can also help you arrange meetings with other SCVI members who would be willing to help.
If you would like to take action but are unsure about next steps, contact us by email at admin@stcroixvalleyindivisible.org.
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1 287(g) agreements are between local law enforcement and ICE whereby local law enforcement (or related personnel) can be deputized to carry out actions directed by ICE. These are voluntary agreements and not required by federal or Minnesota law.
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