Minneapolis, MN – On June 29, the Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee (MIRAC) held a press conference along with coalition partners in the campaign for an immigrant rights Sanctuary Platform in Minneapolis. Before the city council meeting, they gathered outside of City Hall to demand immediate action to implement a Municipal ID for Minneapolis residents – one of 13 points in their Minneapolis Sanctuary Platform unveiled on Sept. 20, 2017.

After the press conference, organizers and activists went upstairs to the city council chambers. Though there wasn’t space for public comment on the agenda, the council suspended their rules to allow a representative of the group to speak. In the council chambers, Daniel Romero said, “Children being separated from their families does not only happen on the Texas and Arizona border. Every single day in Minneapolis, ICE arrests and separates parents from their children...I’m not sure if you knew this but at Fort Snelling this year, more than 700 orders for deportation have been issued. More than at any time since 2013. You can reduce those deportations. But you have to bring an ordinance here to be voted on and you have to pass it...Our communities are suffering. You know what is happening in our country today. And you have the ability, it’s in your power to change that in the city of Minneapolis, and we urge you to do that. Pass it now.”

The demand for a Municipal ID as part of the Minneapolis Sanctuary Platform stems from the urgent need of the immigrant community and others to have the right to access an identification that will enable them to live in Minneapolis with greater respect and dignity. Not having any form of identification is a barrier to gaining employment, housing, banking and other forms of participation in society. Municipal ID also provides a measure of important protection in interactions with law enforcement which is a gateway to the deportation system.

Several cities around the country have implemented municipal ID programs, and the Minneapolis city council is currently debating Municipal ID proposals.

#MinneapolisMN #MIRAc #SanctuaryPlatform #MunicipalID

Minneapolis, MN – On Friday, April 13, in the City Hall rotunda, the Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee (MIRAC) held their third press conference with their coalition partners since the launch of their campaign for ‘Sanctuary Now’ in Minneapolis. Before the meeting of the city council, they demanded urgent action to implement a Municipal ID for Minneapolis residents – one of 13 points in MIRAC’s Minneapolis Sanctuary Platform unveiled on Sept. 20, 2017.

The demand for a Municipal ID as part of the Minneapolis Sanctuary Platform stems from the urgent and immediate need of immigrant communities as well as homeless people, transgender, non-binary and gender non-conforming people, students and youth, and others to have the right to access an identification that will enable all people to live in Minneapolis with greater respect and dignity.

Not having any form of identification is a barrier to gaining employment, housing, banking and other forms of participation in society. A Municipal ID can’t guarantee those things, but it removes one barrier. Municipal ID also provides a measure of important protection in interactions with law enforcement, which too often is a gateway for immigrants without any government-issued identification into county jail and then the deportation system. At the same time, a Municipal ID will include benefits for all Minneapolis residents, and activists encourage everyone to get one. A Minneapolis Municipal ID is an important element for building equality in our neighborhoods and in our city.

At the press conference, MIRAC member Daniel Romero said, “MIRAC takes great pride in the fact that two important platform points have already been enacted: U Visa certifications and the creation of the Office of Immigrant and Refugee Affairs, a new department. In addition, Mayor Frey has told us that several of our other platform proposals have already been completed or are already underway. Today, MIRAC is at City Hall once again, to ensure that the city council and the mayor continue to advance the Sanctuary Now Platform, which moves our city toward becoming in reality the welcoming city that we claim to be. Municipal ID is urgent, and we want the city council to vote on this policy proposal as soon as possible, but no later than June.”

Many of the largest cities around the country have implemented municipal ID programs, with much impetus coming from the immigrant rights movement. The Minneapolis city council is currently debating Municipal ID proposals, which immigrant rights activists in Minneapolis have advocated for more than ten years. A press statement from MIRAC laid out seven key points that they are calling on the city council to incorporate into the Minneapolis Municipal ID:

• Control – Municipal ID must be controlled and implemented by the city and not privatized
• Access – Municipal ID must be accessible in all languages spoken in our communities
• Security – The city must destroy all Municipal ID personal data every six months
• Reciprocity – We want the city to form agreements with other cities and counties to recognize the Minneapolis ID
• Confidence – The Municipal ID must be a plastic card with a loadable magnetic strip, not a technological device
• Funding – Municipal ID program must be funded at a minimum rate of $100,000 per year
• Priority – Municipal ID is urgent and we want a passing vote before June 2018

After the press conference, organizers and activists presented the above written demands to city council members to guarantee community voices are represented as momentum builds for a Minneapolis Municipal ID.

#MinneapolisMN #MIRAc #SanctuaryPlatform #MunicipalID

Minneapolis, MN – Around 50 people gathered on the steps of City Hall Sept. 20 for a press conference to publicly launch the Minneapolis Sanctuary Platform. Afterwards, many of them marched into the city council meeting to demand “Sanctuary now” for immigrants.

In response to the Trump administration’s escalating attacks on immigrants, the Sanctuary Platform aims to deepen Minneapolis' commitment to standing with immigrant communities who are under attack. While city officials have proclaimed their support for immigrants, in reality many forms of discrimination and inequalities continue, and deportations of undocumented immigrants continue apace in Minneapolis. Additionally, city officials’ proclaimed intention to support immigrants is directly undercut by Hennepin County Sheriff Richard Stanek, who continues to actively cooperate with ICE to deport many immigrants in Minneapolis and the surrounding suburbs.

At the press conference, community leaders and union leaders explained why they are supporting the Sanctuary Platform. Speakers included Adriana Cerrillo of MIRAC, Maria Cisneros, initiator of the campaign for a Minneapolis municipal ID ten years ago; Antonia Alvarez of Asamblea de Derechos Civile;, Gloria Velazquez, speaking about the importance of U Visa approvals; Sam Gutierrez of AFSCME and Gerardo Cajamarca of SEIU about why their unions are supporting immigrant workers’ rights and supporting the platform.

In addition to the community members present, several city council members as well as candidates in the upcoming November local elections came to the press conference to listen and to show their support.

After the press conference, community members marched into City Hall chanting, “What do we want? Sanctuary! When do we want it? Now!” They made their way to the council chambers on the third floor and filled many of the seats, holding a banner and signs reading “Sanctuary now!” After ceremonial and introductory agenda points, City Councilmember Elizabeth Glidden introduced a resolution for the council to express its continued support for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) and to oppose President Trump’s decision to eliminate the Obama-era executive order which protects around 800,000 immigrant youth from deportation. As Glidden presented the resolution, she also thanked the immigrant rights activists for being at the meeting, at which point they began to stand up and speak about the need for action beyond more symbolic resolutions. In response, Council President Barb Johnson tried to gavel them out of order while community members continued to speak. The standoff ended when the council voted to suspend the rules to allow the protesters to speak. An impassioned speech was made about the need for the council to act urgently on the 13-point Sanctuary Platform, and the community members pledged to continue pushing for its passage.

Later in the city council meeting, the council passed the resolution supporting DACA, and Councilmember Alondra Cano also took the first formal step toward introducing an ordinance to create a Minneapolis municipal ID. A municipal ID is one of the points on the Sanctuary Platform.

The Sanctuary Platform is endorsed by MIRAC, Asamblea de Derechos Civiles, AFSCME 3800, AFSCME 2822, SEIU Local 26, Centro Campesino, Communities United Against Police Brutality (CUAPB), Filipinxs for Immigrant Rights & Racial Justice in Minnesota (FIRM), Inquilinxs Unidxs por Justicia, Minnesota Conference of the United Church of Christ, Anti-War Committee, Our Revolution TC, Students for a Democratic Society at UMN, TC Coalition for Justice 4 Jamar, and the Welfare Rights Committee.

#MinneapolisMN #SanctuaryPlatform