Minnesota North Star Act Limits ICE Cooperation Statewide

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.