Democrats in the Minnesota Senate passed a sweeping mega-bill that attempts to limit the actions of federal immigration officers in Minnesota. The bill, SF 3699, is authored by DFL Sen. Ron Latz and passed in a 34-33 party-line vote.
Introducing his bill on the Senate floor Monday, Latz made clear that his immigration “omnibus” bill was a response to Operation Metro Surge, the federal government’s recent immigration enforcement operation in Minnesota.
During his remarks, Latz described Operation Metro Surge as “one of the darkest periods in American history” and said his legislation is “about accountability, about safety, and about ensuring that what happened here never happens again.”
Latz’s introductory remarks echoed a common Democratic talking point which alleges that the federal government repeatedly violated the law during Operation Metro Surge.
Under the provisions of Latz’s bill, federal immigration officers would be prohibited from entering schools, child care centers, healthcare facilities, and post-secondary schools for the purposes of civil immigration enforcement unless the officers have a judicial warrant.
The bill also places limits on how schools, child care centers, healthcare facilities, and post-secondary schools can share immigration information with federal authorities and requires those entities to develop policies for how they will interact with immigration officials.
SF 3699 also states that “no child may be denied a free kindergarten through grade 12 public education while in Minnesota based on the child’s actual or perceived immigration status or the actual or perceived citizenship or immigration status of the child’s parent.”
Further, Latz’s bill prevents federal immigration agents from wearing masks and requires Minnesota to investigate fatalities involving federal agents that occur in Minnesota.
For months, DFLers have alleged that federal agents targeted sensitive locations such as schools during Operation Metro Surge. Additionally, Democrats have criticized immigration agents for wearing masks and lambasted federal authorities for their role in the shooting deaths of Alex Pretti and Renee Good.
As such, Democrats have pushed legislation this year that attempts to govern the actions of federal immigration agents. Latz’s immigration “omnibus” bill is largely a compilation of individual DFL bills that were introduced this session.
However, Republicans have said the state government has no authority to control the actions of federal entities. On Monday, Republican Sen. Michael Kreun said SF 3699 has “serious constitutional issues” under the Supremacy Clause of the U.S. Constitution.
After Latz’s bill was passed in a 34-33 vote, the Senate Republican Caucus issued a press release which said the bill contains “unenforceable provisions” such as the prohibition on masking and the section that makes schools “a safe harbor location for illegal immigrants.”
“Minnesotans expect cooperation, coordination and smart immigration enforcement,” GOP Senate Minority Leader Mark Johnson said in a statement. “Instead, Democrats proposed measures that make enforcement more difficult and far more dangerous.”
Following passage of SF 3699, Senate Democrats released statements saying the bill also allows people to “seek monetary damages when their Constitutional rights are violated by federal agents” and creates “a right to sue a law enforcement agent who fails in the duty to render aid to someone they’ve shot or seen shot.”
While DFLers have a majority in the Senate, the Minnesota House of Representatives is split with 67 Republicans and 67 Democrats. As such, the Senate’s “omnibus” immigration legislation is unlikely to become law or advance any further.
Luke Sprinkel
Luke Sprinkel previously worked as a Legislative Assistant at the Minnesota House of Representatives. He grew up as a Missionary Kid (MK) living in England, Thailand, Tanzania, and the Middle East. Luke graduated from Regent University in 2018.
