Minnesota's North Star Act, codified in Minn. Stat. 645.221 and related provisions enacted in 2023, limits state and local agency cooperation with federal immigration enforcement absent a judicial warrant.
Minnesota enacted the North Star Act in 2023 to restrict the use of state and local resources for federal civil immigration enforcement. Under Minn. Stat. 645.221, state agencies, employees, and contractors are prohibited from inquiring about or disclosing immigration status except as required by law, and from arresting or detaining a person solely on a civil immigration detainer. Schools, hospitals, libraries, and courthouses are designated protected locations where civil immigration arrests are discouraged. The law preserves cooperation required by federal law, judicial warrants, and criminal investigations unrelated to immigration status. The framework applies statewide and supplements existing separation orders adopted by Minneapolis, Saint Paul, Hennepin County, and Ramsey County.
State agencies or employees who violate the North Star Act may face administrative discipline, civil enforcement, and corrective orders; aggrieved individuals may pursue remedies for unlawful detention.
See how St. Michael's sanctuary policy preemption rules stack up against other locations.
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