Saint Paul, MN – Hundreds of immigrants and supporters rallied in the State Capitol for five hours outside the House of Representatives chamber January 30. They were demanding the House pass House File 4, the Drivers License for All bill that would allow undocumented immigrants to get a drivers license in Minnesota again, as they were able to before 2003 when then-Governor Pawlenty took away that right.

Inside the House chamber, Representatives debated the bill, as Republicans threw up a flurry of amendments to try to weaken or derail the bill. All hostile amendments were defeated. When the final vote came, HF4 passed on a party-line vote, 69-60. Importantly, they passed a clean version of the bill which doesn't create a “marked” license different than a regular license. This has been a debate within the immigrant rights movement for many years.

When the vote count was announced and the lead authors of the bill, Representatives Maria Isa and Aisha Gomez, rushed out to greet the people, and the gathered crowd burst into cheers and chants of “¡Si se puede!”

The Drivers License for All bill has languished at the capitol for about 15 years. It has come close to passing several times but was repeatedly sacrificed at the end of the legislative session for political expediency. This year is different. The years of work immigrant rights organizers have done to build a majority willing to pass the bill is finally bearing fruit.

The next step in the legislative process is for the Senate to finish the bill's committee process then vote on it in the full Senate. Governor Tim Walz has already pledged to sign the bill. While Democrats only have a slim one-vote majority in the Senate, activists and analysts are optimistic that the bill will also pass the Senate, as the broad coalition of immigrant rights organizations and allies keeps the pressure on.

#SaintPaulMN #immigrantRights #MinnesotaImmigrantRightsActionCommitteeMIRAC

Saint Paul, MN – On Tuesday January 3, more than 50 immigrant rights activists and supporters braved a snowstorm to gather on the steps of the Minnesota State Capitol demanding “Drivers license for all.” The rally was called by the Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee (MIRAC) on the opening day of the Minnesota legislative session to demand that the new Democrat-controlled state legislature pass the bill for drivers license access for all in Minnesota in this legislative session. After years of gridlock due to a divided state legislature in Minnesota, immigrant rights activists are demanding again that now is the time to finally pass this bill.

The protest began with a speech in both English and Spanish by Sarah Silva, a member of MIRAC. Silva began by telling the crowd why she got involved in organizing: “I need to stand up for my parents, myself, and my community. Being here I see my father, I see my mother, I see my siblings. Everyone that is showing up today is showing up for my family.”

Jaylani Hussein from The Minnesota Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) spoke next, telling the crowd: “It is time for the Democratic Party, who have said that they cared about so many of these issues, to actually prioritize those things and make it happen.”

Jae Yates, a speaker from the Twin Cities Coalition for Justice for Jamar and Minneapolis for Community Control of the Police spoke on the connections between the fight for community control of the police in Minneapolis and the role that the policing system has on funneling undocumented immigrants into deportation.

Near the end of the rally, Pablo Tapia from Asamblea de Derechos Civiles, who has been involved in the struggle for drivers license in Minnesota for two decades, energized the group after stating he would speak in Spanish, the language of his community. “Están listos para ganar licencias para todos este año si o no?” which translates as “Are you ready to win licenses for all this year, yes or no?”

A statement was read on behalf of Minnesota State Senator Zaynab Mohamed, who is the author of the driver's license bill in the Senate. Senator Mohamad said: “Our economy depends on the labor of immigrants, yet our government prohibits them from driving. Restoring immigrants’ right to obtain a driver’s license isn’t just the right thing to do – it will also benefit our economy, make our roads safer, and make life easier for our undocumented neighbors and their families.” Her statement ended with the promise to work on the legislation to ensure it becomes a reality.

The crowd also heard from Minneapolis City Councilmember Aisha Chughtai; Veena Iyer, the director of the Immigrant Law Center of MN; John Banda from the Interfaith Coalition on Immigration, and Eva Lopez and Brahim Kone from SEIU Local 26.

David Gilbert Pederson of MN Workers United spoke in support of drivers license for all, and also announced a new People's Agenda platform, which includes a broad range of demands on the state legislature. Activists noted that as the Democrats now have full control of the state government and a massive budget surplus, they can't blame financial hard times or blame Republicans if they don't pass bills and a budget that addresses and fully funds working class and oppressed people's needs. Organizations and individuals are being asked to sign on to the People Agenda platform.

The crowd chanted, “What do we want? Drivers license! When do we want it? Now!” across the capitol steps before the last speaker urged participants to make their way inside for a press conference organized by some of the other organizations that are also fighting for drivers licenses for all.

The group was also asked people to save the date for the first two committee hearings for the drivers license bill in the House next week, as MIRAC and other groups will be mobilizing community members to keep the pressure on through the whole legislative process until the Drivers License for All bill is passed this legislative session.

#SaintPaulMN #immigrantRights #MinnesotaImmigrantRightsActionCommitteeMIRAC

Minneapolis, MN – On the morning of December 20, after weeks of continued pressure, activists occupied Senator Klobuchar's office with the goal of meeting with the senator directly to demand she introduce the American Dream and Promise Act in the Senate. The mobilization came less than two weeks after a militant street protest in front of Klobuchar's office that ended with a promise to “be back.”

The action began with members and supporters of the Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee (MIRAC) entering the building that houses Klobuchar’s office demanding to meet with the senator’s staff. The senator's top local aides led participants to an office conference room for a formal meeting. Activists called once more for Klobuchar to introduce the American Dream and Promise Act, which passed the House 21 months ago and must be introduced in her Senate committee. The bill would permanently legalize over 3 million Dreamers and TPS recipients who currently have no other pathway to citizenship – and who are on the verge of losing their status at the hands of the Supreme Court.

Activists expressed anger and frustration over the senator's inaction for immigrant rights during such a crucial time. They demanded to meet with Klobuchar directly, and stated they would not leave the office until Klobuchar herself spoke with them, staging a sit-in.

During this time, other members and supporters began to arrive and were forcefully pushed from the door of the building by building staff and were denied entry. They were told that Klobuchar’s office instructed them to not allow anyone inside. Even a member of the press was initially kept out, finally negotiating his way in.

When it was clear to the senator's aides that the activists would not leave, they got Klobuchar to agree to speak directly with two MIRAC representatives. On a conference call from D.C., activists explained their demand directly to Klobuchar – introduce the American Dream and Promise Act immediately so it can be voted on in the Senate. Klobuchar verbally agreed to immediately bring this demand to Senators Schumer and Durbin to begin to take real action.

The sit-in concluded with a message from members on the ground to their supporters via social media livestream that their demand had been met – that Klobuchar herself spoke with them and agreed to take real steps to introduce the bill. MIRAC ended the mobilization for the day, but reminded supporters that we must continue the pressure and keep contacting Klobuchar and all our senators because the fight to defend DACA is not over. We must continue the fight for legalization for all now!

#MinneapolisMN #PeoplesStruggles #SenatorAmyKlobuchar #DACA #MinnesotaImmigrantRightsActionCommitteeMIRAC

Minneapolis, MN – Members of the Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee (MIRAC) testified at the Minneapolis city council public hearing on the city budget on November 10. This was the first of three public hearings the city will hold on the 2023 budget.

The MIRAC members who spoke called on the city to fund the Municipal ID program and to create a fund to help Minneapolis residents with DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) status to pay for the expensive renewal fees. These two proposals are part of MIRAC’s Immigrant Power Now platform that was launched earlier this year, with ten demands for the city that would improve the lives of Minneapolis’s immigrant residents.

MIRAC member Memo Perez testified, “I’m here with the Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee to strongly urge the council to include two important issues in the city’s budget. One is funding the implementation of Municipal ID which was already passed in 2018 but yet to be implemented. It’s a long-overdue task which must be done now for the benefit of not only immigrants, but anyone in the city that benefits from a form of valid ID for things like gender identity, interactions with law enforcement, finding housing and day-to-day acts like verifying purchases.”

MIRAC member Julia Pearlstein declared, “I’m speaking in support of making space in the budget to fund DACA,” and further testified, “while DACA is under threat the least that we can do to show our support in our city, to our community, to people, many of who are in my generation who are working to help our city economy, who are providing their talents to our city, the least we can do is provide them with financial relief. DACA applications cost $495 and DACA recipients have to reapply for DACA every two years, and that is just a huge amount for working people to have to pay every two years.”

MIRAC is also planning to mobilize for the two remaining public hearings on the city budget on November 15 and December 6 at 6 p.m. at Minneapolis City Hall.

#MinneapolisMN #PeoplesStruggles #MinnesotaImmigrantRightsActionCommitteeMIRAC

(Photo by Brad Sigal)”)

Minneapolis, MN – On March 12 a car caravan brought honks of solidarity to Minneapolis Federation of Teachers (MFT) negotiating committee members while they were in talks with the school district administration at the Davis Center after a week of being on strike.

Organized by the Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee (MIRAC) and Asamblea de Derechos Civiles, the caravan started on Lake Street in the heart of immigrant communities of south Minneapolis. The cars in the caravan were adorned with signs supporting Minneapolis Public Schools educators who are on strike for the safe, secure and fully-funded schools that Minneapolis students deserve. The caravan started on Lake Street in south Minneapolis and then wound through many different neighborhoods before ending at the Davis Center on the Northside, honking the whole way and spreading the message of support for educators through the streets of Minneapolis.

When the caravan arrived at the Davis Center, union negotiating committee members waved and showed appreciation out the window from inside the building. The educators’ strike remained strong through the first week. Now on top of that, community pressure is also increasingly being brought to bear on the district to meet the educators’ demands.

#MinneapolisMN #ImmigrantRights #PeoplesStruggles #PublicSectorUnions #teachersStrike #Strikes #TeachersUnions #MinnesotaImmigrantRightsActionCommitteeMIRAC #MinneapolisTeachersFederationMFT

Minneapolis, MN – In the early evening of October 13, a group of about 15 people gathered on the corner of Lake Street and Bloomington Avenue in South Minneapolis and held banners that read: “Legalization for all” and “No militarized border.” The action was organized by the Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee (MIRAC).

Over the summer, U.S. Senate Democrats released a budget resolution that would include legalization for millions of undocumented people, including those with DACA or TPS status, as well as many essential workers and farm workers. The bill passed through the first four steps until it reached the Senate parliamentarian, who advised the Senate not to include legalization for immigrants in the bill. The fight is not over, as Democrats are still working on alternate proposals that would still keep some form of legalization for many in the bill.

The bannering event was planned to raise awareness about the bill and to encourage community members passing by to put pressure on representatives to make sure legalization for undocumented immigrants is still included in the bill.

Many passing cars honked in support of the messages on the banners and both drivers and pedestrians who expressed interest were given flyers with information about the bill and a call to action to call, email, or tweet their representatives to demand that they do all that they can to make sure the pathway to citizenship is kept in the bill.

#MinneapolisMN #PeoplesStruggles #legalizationForAll #MinnesotaImmigrantRightsActionCommitteeMIRAC

Minneapolis, MN – On April 24, protesters took the streets for the second time here to demand justice for Adam Toledo, a 13-year-old Mexican-American boy who was shot to death by a Chicago Police Department officer while he had his hands up. The video footage of the murder was recently released, sparking a wave of protests in Chicago and around the country.

The Minneapolis protest was led by a banner reading “Black and Brown United,” followed by militant and disciplined contingents from Los Brown Berets – Minnesota, Original Black Panther Party, New Black Panther Nation, New Black Panther Party, Camp Migiizi, and the American Indian Movement. Behind them were danzantes from Kalpulli KetzalCoatlicue and Kalpulli Tlaloctecuhtli and other grassroots organizations including the Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee (MIRAC), Asamblea de Derechos Civiles and others.

The protest started at South High School then marched on Lake Street. The marchers stopped in front of the Minneapolis Police Department’s Third Precinct which was burned during last May’s uprising after the police murdered George Floyd. There several speakers talked about the importance of Black, brown and native peoples uniting to support each other’s struggles for justice.

The march then continued for several more blocks, and finally merged with a larger community vigil for Yadhira Romero Martinez at Lake Street and 18th Avenue. Yadhira was a 19-year-old Mexican-American woman who was murdered in a house near that intersection last week. She was born in the U.S. but left at a young age when her parents were forced to return to México. She had recently returned to the U.S. to work, until suffering this gruesome attack. Few details are available about what happened, other than that she left work in Bloomington, Minnesota, took an Uber, then wasn’t heard from again until she was found dead in Minneapolis. Yadhira’s case has sparked a growing movement to confront sexist and misogynist behavior and attacks on women, with particular focus on women who are already oppressed in this country. More vigils for Yadhira are planned.

#MinneapolisMN #PeoplesStruggles #PoliceBrutality #MinnesotaImmigrantRightsActionCommitteeMIRAC #AdamToledo #YadhiraRomeroMartinez

Minneapolis, MN – On April 18, the Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee (MIRAC), Los Brown Berets, Asamblea de Derechos Civiles and other groups organized a protest and car caravan to demand justice for Adam Toledo, a 13-year-old Mexican-American who was murdered by the Chicago Police Department. The video footage of the murder was recently released, sparking a wave of protests in Chicago and around the country.

Protesters gathered on Lake Street to decorate their cars with signs, crosses and flags in honor of Adam Toledo. The protest began at the statue of Mexican revolutionary Emiliano Zapata at Lake Street and 12th Avenue S. Protesters held a banner with slogans of support in Spanish that read: “Queremos justicia para Adam Toledo” and “Minnesota si se nota.” The program featured various speakers from different organizations who spoke in both English and Spanish before protesters took to their cars to drive down Lake Street.

The speakers called for justice for Adam Toledo and spoke on the issues that immigrant communities face when dealing with police. Speaker Susana De Leon said, “We are here today for another member of our community that was gunned down by violence, but the biggest gang that exists is the police.” She continued: “We don’t do anything to deserve to be killed,” and went on to link the struggles of the violence at the border with the violence in Chicago and Minneapolis at the hands of the police. Another speaker highlighted that her community does not feel safe or protected by police and those who are undocumented do not speak up because they are afraid to do so. All speakers demanded justice for Adam Toledo and an end to murders at the hands of police.

The action continued as protesters took to their cars and rolled down Lake Street, holding fists out the window and yelling chants such as “What do we want? Justice! When do we want it? Now! For who? Adam Toledo!” and “No justice, no peace!” People on the sidewalks waved, chanted along and held up fists in support and passing cars joined in with enthusiastic honks. The cars passed by the former Minneapolis Third Precinct that was burned down during the George Floyd uprising last summer, protesters chanting loudly as they passed by before heading back on Lake Street towards the end point at George Floyd Square.

Protesters then got out of their cars to join up with a Black-Asian solidarity rally that was underway at the square at that time.

#MinneapolisMN #PeoplesStruggles #PoliceBrutality #MinnesotaImmigrantRightsActionCommitteeMIRAC #AdamToledo

St. Paul, MN – On February 20, one month after President Biden’s inauguration, the Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee (MIRAC) organized the first protest of their new campaign to end the war on immigrants. About 100 people gathered outside of the Bishop Henry Whipple Building, the federal building where Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) headquarters are located in Minnesota. The campaign demands include, among others: “Legalization for all,” “Close the camps,” “No kids in cages,” “No border militarization,” “No wall on Native land,” “End abuses in ICE jails,” “No forced sterilizations,” and “Immediate access to COVID-19 vaccines for ICE detainees.”

The action kicked off with a dance by Kalpulli Yaocenoxtli, a traditional Mexica-Nahua (Aztec) cultural group. They danced in the spot where deportation vans enter and leave the facility. They were followed by speakers from Native Lives Matter, Filipinx for Immigrant Rights & Racial Justice Minnesota, MIRAC, Twin Cities Coalition for Justice 4 Jamar (TCC4J), Anti-War Committee, Minnesota Immigrant Movement (MIM) and others, including two children of a formerly detained immigrant who shared their powerful family story.

The MIRAC speaker Francisco Sanchez asked the crowd to “continue choosing to fight.” He reminded the crowd: “Every day, people are forced to abandon their homes, their loved ones and their dreams. They are forced to migrate, by no choice of their own. The U.S. plays a central role in the disenfranchisement of countries all across the world.”

After the speakers, protesters participated in a short march to the front entrance of the federal building. At the front of the crowd marched the two children who spoke at the rally, holding a banner that read: “No militarized border.” The crowd stopped briefly by the front doors of the building, chanting slogans such as “Abolish ICE” and “Free them all” before marching back to the intersection where the rally was held to finish off with a native land acknowledgment and a few more chants. This was the first of many actions to come from MIRAC’s new campaign, as they will plan more protests, educational events and fundraisers in the fight to “End the War on Immigrants” and continue to hold President Biden accountable to fully reverse the Trump administration and previous administrations’ anti-immigrant policies and chart a new course for full equality for immigrants.

#SaintPaulMN #PeoplesStruggles #MinnesotaImmigrantRightsActionCommitteeMIRAC

Minneapolis, MN – On Halloween, over 150 people marched through Uptown Minneapolis to the Fifth Precinct police station. The march was organized by the Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee (MIRAC) and co-hosted by the Twin Cities Coalition for Justice 4 Jamar (TCC4J) and several other groups.

Starting at Lagoon and Dupont Avenues, the march was kicked off with a performance by the Kalpulli KetzalCoatlicue danzantes and a few speakers. A representative from Minnesota Workers United spoke about the horrifying impact the Trump presidency has had on the working class and the importance of defeating him come election day – he went on to discuss how no matter who wins the election, the status quo is harmful to the working class and we must keep the fight in the streets.

A speaker from the Climate Justice Committee talked about how one of Trump’s first actions was approving the Dakota Access Pipeline, which is actively harming indigenous communities and our environment – she also made the same point that even if Joe Biden wins the election, this fight will continue. The speaker from the Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee (MIRAC), the group that hosted the march, talked about Trump’s newly released plan for immigrants and how we must defeat him for the sake of our neighbors, as well as the importance of continuing the fight for Legalization for All.

The march then moved east on Lake Street, a major Chicano and immigrant corridor. Chants like “Trump, Biden, no retreat, keep your asses in the street,” and “If we don’t get it, shut it down,” rang out as people marched a mile to the Fifth Precinct building. Residents and business owners came outside to cheer on and show support for the march and the message to dump Trump.

At the Fifth Precinct, which has been the site of many protests and arrests in the past months, the protesters stopped and held the intersection. There was another performance by the danzantes, as well as a few more speakers. The sister of Isak Aden, who was murdered by local police in 2019, spoke about how as a Black Muslim woman, every presidential administration has done harm to her and how we’ll have to keep the struggle in the streets no matter who wins the election.

As the group marched to the starting point, they retook Lake Street, and like before, took all four lanes of traffic for nearly a mile. Upon returning to the starting point, the importance of attending the post-election march on November 4 at 6 p.m. in the Cedar-Riverside neighborhood was announced.

#MinneapolisMN #MinnesotaImmigrantRightsActionCommitteeMIRAC #TwinCitiesCoalition4JusticeForJamarTCC4J

St. Paul, MN – On February 19, the House Subcommittee on Local Government voted to pass House File 3060. HF 3060 is a bill that would end contracts that local jails in Minnesota have with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to detain people facing civil immigration charges. Currently several county jails in Minnesota have contracts with ICE to hold hundreds of immigrants facing deportation.

The bill, sponsored by democrat Representative Fue Lee, who represents part of north Minneapolis, will now advance to the Government Operations Committee.

Before voting on the bill, the committee heard testimony from members of Sanctuary and Resistance to Injustice (SARI), the Sanctuary State Coalition, Interfaith Coalition on Immigration (ICOM) and the Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee (MIRAC). After hearing their testimony, the committee voted to pass the bill.

In the face of the Trump administration’s relentless attacks on immigrants, this bill is one of several supported by the movement fighting to make Minnesota a sanctuary state.

#StPaulMN #OppressedNationalities #PeoplesStruggles #ChicanoLatino #ImmigrationAndCustomsEnforcementICE #MinnesotaImmigrantRightsActionCommitteeMIRAC #HouseFile3060

Minneapolis, MN – People holding signs reading, “Municipal ID for all” and “Sanctuary now!” packed into the Minneapolis City Council Public Health, Environment and Civil Rights Committee hearing November 26. They came to give testimony and to encourage the city council to create a Minneapolis Municipal ID.

Dozens of Minneapolis residents spoke to their need for an ID due to immigration status, gender identity, housing instability, age and other reasons. After hearing the testimony, the committee voted unanimously in favor of creating a Minneapolis Municipal ID. The vote of approval from the committee forwards the ordinance to the full city council for a final vote on December 7.

The immigrant rights movement has led the push for creating municipal IDs in cities around the country, especially within states where immigrants are excluded from obtaining drivers licenses or other official government identification.

Speakers at the hearing talked about how the lack of an ID makes everyday interactions difficult or impossible, like picking up medical prescriptions, picking up kids from school, renting an apartment, or opening a bank account.

Most importantly, any interaction with police is dangerous when you can’t identify who you are; in such cases police will often arrest a person and bring them in to jail for booking to fingerprint and identify them even if they have done nothing wrong. Once in the criminal justice system, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) often intervenes and starts deportation proceedings against someone who can’t prove their immigration status. This is a large source of the skyrocketing deportation rates over the past decade.

In response, several cities around the U.S. have created a municipal ID in recent years to extend the democratic right of an official identification to people who are excluded or discriminated against with other types of official identification because of immigration status, gender, housing stability, age or other issues.

The campaign for a Minneapolis Municipal ID has been pushed forward by community-based organizations like the Minnesota Immigrant Movement (MIM), the Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee (MIRAC), among many others.

MIRAC launched a Sanctuary Platform in September 2017, which included 13 things the Minneapolis city council could do to protect Minneapolis immigrant residents from the Trump administration’s attacks. One of the biggest points on the platform is the creation of a Municipal ID. So far, the city has implemented at least four of the platform planks, and is one vote away from creating a Municipal ID.

This is a significant step toward a victory for democratic rights of all Minneapolis residents. The next steps in the process are budget hearings and then the full city council vote on December 7. MIRAC, MIM and others are mobilizing for a large community presence for the December 7 vote.

#MinneapolisMN #PeoplesStruggles #ImmigrationAndCustomsEnforcementICE #MunicipalID #MinnesotaImmigrantRightsActionCommitteeMIRAC