Minnesota Senate votes to ban ICE from wearing masks, allow residents to sue for constitutional violations
The Minnesota Senate on Monday narrowly passed a bill that would restrict federal agents from concealing their identities, with exceptions, and create a path for lawsuits over alleged constitutional violations stemming from immigration enforcement in the state.
The bill narrowly passed with a 34-33 party line vote. It now heads to the House, where it faces an uphill battle with the chamber evenly split between Democrats and Republicans.
The legislation also instructs schools, day cares and health care facilities to deny access to agents seeking to conduct civil immigration enforcement on their premises without a signed judicial warrant, with some exceptions. And it prohibits certain civil immigration arrests of people attending court proceedings.
Additionally, it gives state officials the authority to investigate deaths involving federal agents’ use of force and creates penalties or civil liability in certain cases when someone fails to render aid after a shooting.
Democratic Sen. Omar Fateh, a co-sponsor of the bill, said the federal government's raids in Minnesota displayed "a show of force against immigrant communities," according to The Minnesota Star Tribune.
"They said agents were here to enforce law and order," Fateh said. "Again, they lied. They broke down doors without a warrant, denied people due process, assaulted, arrested, tear-gassed and shot peaceful people."
This comes as several Democratic-led states have sought to adopt restrictions on immigration agents, particularly after the fatal shootings of two U.S. citizens in separate incidents in January during immigration raids in Minneapolis that triggered nationwide protests.
Lawmakers in New York reached an agreement with Gov. Kathy Hochul on a final state budget to limit state and local cooperation with Immigration and Customs Enforcement and place restrictions on masked agents and warrantless searches of homes, schools and other locations. The deal would also allow residents to sue immigration agents.
A mask ban was also passed by California lawmakers, but similar restrictions have faced federal court challenges, including rulings blocking parts of California’s law.
Other Democratic-led states, including New Jersey and Massachusetts, have proposed similar plans to block immigration agents from wearing masks during President Donald Trump's immigration crackdown.
Minnesota Democratic Sen. Ron Latz, another co-sponsor of the bill passed on Monday, said the measure aims to bring accountability and "ensuring that what happened here never happens again."
"What we endured was one of the darkest periods in American history when the government ... sent masked men — armed, untrained and unrestrained — to terrorize our communities," Latz said, according to The Minnesota Star Tribune.
Republicans, meanwhile, accused Democrats of inflammatory rhetoric about the immigration raids and said Minnesota officials should be cooperating with ICE.
"We need more cooperation in this state between our federal, state and local officials," GOP Sen. Michael Kreun said, according to the outlet. "More cooperation, not less cooperation. That will help reduce the need for street-level enforcement, which many people are very uncomfortable with."
MASSACHUSETTS BILL WOULD FORCE ICE AGENTS TO UNMASK
Republican Sen. Glenn Gruenhagen argued that immigration crackdowns have made cities across the country safer, although local officials have blamed the Trump administration for violence after immigration agents shot multiple people in recent months.
Senate Republicans also said the package would cost taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars in potential litigation since the state will likely be sued.
"This bill will put Minnesota on a collision course with dangerous illegal immigrants who roam freely while federal authorities face legal challenges," Senate Republican Leader Mark Johnson said in a statement.
The legislation's mask ban for federal agents carves out some exceptions, including for medical needs.
Fox News Digital has reached out to the Department of Homeland Security for comment.