Minneapolis police update immigration policy, saying enforcement is strictly up to the feds

Days before the presidential inauguration of Donald Trump, Minneapolis police announced Thursday that the department has updated its immigration policing policy.

In a release, the department said the policy changes were designed to “offer clear guidance to officers during a time when community concerns are particularly prominent.” Trump has promised to deport undocumented people living in the United States en masse, possibly as soon as he takes office Monday.

For more than 20 years, Minneapolis police have had an immigration policy stating that the department does not get involved in federal immigration law enforcement. The updated policy explicitly outlines the department’s noninvolvement, saying enforcement of civil and criminal federal immigration laws falls exclusively within the authority of the federal government.

“I recognize that the fear of deportation prevents some people from calling police in times of need or to report crime,” said Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara in a statement. “I want to be clear that enforcement of civil immigration laws falls exclusively with the federal government — it is not the job of the MPD. Any participation in immigration enforcement would have a chilling effect on our commitment to bias-free, community-oriented policing.”

The updated policy prohibits officers from questioning someone about their immigration status. It also adds a section on U Visa and T Visa certifications, which under federal law is available to trafficking victims and witnesses of certain crimes to obtain temporary legal status.

An exception to the hands-off approach to immigration would be made if a Minneapolis case involves human trafficking and smuggling where immigration status is an element of the crime.

Minnesota has an estimated 81,000 unauthorized immigrants.

Staff writer Maya Rao contributed to this report.