Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee rallies for stronger sanctuary protections
Minneapolis, MN – On Friday, September 20, the Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee (MIRAC) held a rally and march to demand stronger sanctuary protections in Minneapolis. Rain didn’t stop protesters from showing up in support of immigrants. Over 200 people gathered under the constant drizzle to demand stronger safeguards against collusion between local law enforcement and ICE.
The action was also a response to the Legalization for All Network’s national call to action against the recent SCOTUS decision allowing ICE to racially profile.
This protest comes just a month after the organization launched a Real Sanctuary Now campaign to with four principal demands. First, no collusion: no information sharing between local law enforcement and federal agencies; second, no crowd control: no local law enforcement cooperation with ICE, HSI and other federal agencies, including supportive roles like crowd control and police taping. Third, no coverups: no face coverings to obscure federal agents’ identities; federal agents must clearly display their agency association and identify themselves with name plates and badge numbers. And fourth, real consequences: punitive measures for local law enforcement agents or agencies found to be in violation of the city’s separation ordinance.
MIRAC asserts that the current separation ordinance, which was codified 20 years ago, is inadequate to protect the Minneapolis community from the federal government’s current terror campaign against immigrants. They point out that the law’s limited scope and ample loopholes leave far too much room for collusion between police and ICE.
Ivy Rodriguez, a member of MIRAC, stated, “Hoy gritamos desde Minneapolis, pero que retumbe hasta Washington: ¡Los inmigrantes no tenemos miedo! Los inmigrantes no nos vamos! Aquí estamos y aquí seguimos, hombro con hombro, corazón con corazón.” (“Today – our shouts of defiance from Minneapolis will boom to the streets of DC: We are not afraid! We aren’t leaving! Here we are and here we will stay, shoulder to shoulder, heart to heart.”)
The protest also included speaker Emily Newberg from the Anti-War Committee who spoke to the injustice of Mahmoud Khalil’s ordered deportation just days ago. Mahmoud Khalil is a former Columbia graduate school student who spoke in support of Palestine. Newberg spoke about how immigrants showing support for Palestine are often denied immigration benefits on the grounds of being “anti-American.”
While a rainbow was seen overhead, the group took the streets to demand ICE out of Minneapolis. Throughout the march, bystanders showed support with car honks, joining chants, and some even joining the march. The activists shouted in Spanish, “Los inmigrantes no somos criminales, somos trabajadores internacionales!” (“Immigrants are not criminals, we are international workers.”)
The march paused in front of the Second Police Precinct, where Anusha Ramaswami of the Twin Cities Coalition for Justice spoke to the strong connection between MIRAC’s demands and those for a Civilian Police Accountability Commission (CPAC), which would put in place community control of the police.
As the march continued, rain returned but the energy remained strong. Protesters chanted loudly, “¡El pueblo unido jamás será vencido!” “The people united will never be defeated!”
Organizers encouraged supporters to sign onto the Real Sanctuary Now demands with a petition offered both in person or online.