-------------------------------------------------- Do You Have Any Questions About St. Paul Government or Politics? Please Post Them Here. --------------------------------------------------
Matt gave me permission to forward this post to the group. He sent it to me, in response to questions that I posted over the weekend. Others have addressed this issue as well, however Matt adds some information about the Federal legislation.
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Hi Tim,
This is Matt Ehling - I've been involved with the St. Paul (and now Minnesota) Bill of Rights Defense Committee, and have been following these kinds of issues closely.
Here are a few answers to your questions:
The local police/INS separation ordinance is still making its way through the city council. There is a public hearing on this ordinance coming up this Wednesday, at 5:30 at city hall. This ordinance would, in essence, keep municipal police out of the business of routine immigration enforcement - a role they are not trained for, and which has not been part of their traditional jurisdiction.
On the federal level, there is a bill pending in the House called the SAFE Act (check Thomas.gov for the exact bill number) ... this federal legislation would end-run the various municipal separation ordinances that have been passed around the country. The bill would prohibit federal funds from being granted to municipalities which mandate police/INS separation - in essence penalizing them for enacting these separation ordinances. The bill has over 100 co-sponsors, and has not yet been voted on. I don't know if there is a companion bill in the Senate.
Let me know if you have any additional questions.
Best,
Matt Ehling
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-- ================================================= Tim Erickson http://www.politalk.com St. Paul, MN - USA 651-643-0722 [EMAIL PROTECTED] iChat/AIM: stpaultim =================================================
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