Minneapolis City Council moves to spend $500K on immigrant legal services
The Minneapolis City Council on Tuesday signaled support for a resolution that would direct additional funding toward immigrant legal services, as city leaders weigh how to respond to ongoing federal immigration enforcement activity.
The resolution would increase the budget for the Neighborhood and Community Relations Department’s Office of Immigrant and Refugee Affairs by $500,000 on a one-time basis.
Jason Chavez, a Minneapolis City Council member representing Ward 9, said the move would bring the city’s total investment in immigrant legal services to $1 million this year, following an earlier allocation approved in December.
"This action unanimously passed at the Committee of the Whole meeting and will now have a final vote at full council. We are hearing from providers that we desperately need to expand services, capacity, and support," Chavez wrote on Facebook.
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"We also know that habeas corpus and the legal system are one of the ways we have successfully reunited families," he added. "While this was one action today, I believe we must do more."
The Minneapolis City Council is scheduled to vote on Chavez's resolution on Thursday.
The city council’s action comes against the backdrop of stepped-up federal immigration enforcement activity in Minnesota that has drawn protests and heightened scrutiny following the shooting deaths of two U.S. citizens.
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Demonstrations have taken place nationwide as community members and activists question the scope and tactics of the operations, which the Department of Homeland Security says are targeted.
Tom Homan, the White House border czar, said at a press conference Wednesday morning that the administration would draw down 700 federal law enforcement personnel from Minnesota, citing "unprecedented collaboration" with local officials.
Homan said federal agents have arrested people with serious criminal histories, including those convicted of homicide, sex-related offenses and gang activity.
"We're taking a lot of bad people off the street," he told reporters. "Everybody should be grateful for that. Who in their right mind would want these dangerous criminals walking around communities?"