‘Don't sell us out, Walz!’ Minnesotans demand a ban on 287(g) agreements
St. Paul, MN – The Minnesota Immigrant Right Action Committee (MIRAC) led a lively rally, of about 100 people, February 24, in frigid temperatures outside the governor's mansion in the Summit Hill neighborhood of Saint Paul to demand that Tim Walz take action to ensure real sanctuary for all Minnesotans.
A major focus was the call for the governor to ban 287(g) agreements across the state. These insidious programs deputize local law enforcement to work for the deportation machine by hiding kidnappings within the shadows of local squad cars and jails.
As elected officials and the mainstream media attempt to sell the narrative that the threat of ICE terror is no longer active in Minnesota, demonstrators refused to let the violence slip into the background..
Morgan Budiandri of MIRAC stated, “You know who's not able to just forget? My coworkers who are still afraid to go to work. My friends whose moms and dads have been deported and sent hundreds of miles away. My neighbors who have been tear gassed, brutalized and killed.”
Budiandri continued, “this system cannot be reformed. It is rooted in violence and terror. It needs to be abolished completely. It needs to take its ugly head out of Minnesota once and for all!”
As the sun went down, protesters cheered, chanted, waved signs, and jumped up and down to stay warm in the dropping temperatures. Chants of “Walz, eschucha! Estamos en la lucha!” echoed down the street.
Alissa Washington, founder of the Wrongfully Incarcerated and Over-Sentenced Families Council, addressed the governor directly: “Governor Tim Walz, we are watching you. Minnesota does not belong to ICE. Our counties are not holding cells for federal raids. Our communities are not bargaining chips. For years, Black, brown, and indigenous communities have asked for real leadership. Real protection, real courage. And too often what we got is hesitation, compromise and political calculation.”
“To our Minnesota community, we love you, and we're in this fight for the long haul,” said MIRAC member Sophie Breen. Minnesotans continue to come together to protect their neighbors and stand in solidarity with immigrants. The people demand that Governor Walz declare Minnesota a sanctuary state, ban all 287(g) agreements, and prohibit county jails from sharing information with ICE.