St. Paul, Minneapolis join lawsuit against Trump administration over immigration enforcement

St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter announced the city’s involvement in a lawsuit between San Francisco and President Donald Trump over recent federal immigration policy on Wednesday afternoon.

The City of Minneapolis said in an emailed statement shortly after the St. Paul announcement that they will be joining the lawsuit.

Carter addressed the decision for St. Paul to join the San Francisco-led coalition of cities across the nation which is filing a lawsuit against the Trump administration for threatening to withholding funding from sanctuary jurisdictions.

Carter said that St. Paul currently relies on around $260 million in federal funding and the city is taking action to ensure local services dependent on that funding are still operational.

“We do not accept the proposal of this executive order unlawfully holding hostage federal funds as ransom against an unlawful political demand,” Carter said.

St. Paul City Attorney Lyndsey Olson said the federal government’s attempts to withhold funding in exchange for policy compliance is known as commandeering and is prohibited by the 10th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.

“When states are forced to act in ways they didn’t agree to, it disrupts the balance of power,” Olson said.

Olson said the challenge is to protect the constitutional rights of local governments and not to oppose lawful immigration policies.

St. Paul City Council President Rebecca Noecker said the city is committed to ensuring all residents safety and access to public services. Noecker cited the city’s 2004 separation ordinance prohibiting city officials from asking about immigration status before providing services.

“Real safety can only be built on trust,” Noecker said.

Noecker said the federal government’s actions directly threatens the St. Paul residents’ safety and stability.

St. Paul City Council Member Nelsie Yang said the loss of funding is part of a “whirlwind” of injustices by the federal government and will have a negative impact on St. Paul residents and city projects, especially for marginalized communities.

“Let me be clear: St. Paul will not be silent,” Yang said.

The announcement comes a day after the release of a White House statement defending the president’s actions on immigration and accusing Carter and officials from several other states of supporting violent crimes.

Carter said in a statement released on social media that the president’s rhetoric has stoked fear in St. Paul residents and defended the St. Paul Police Department’s efforts to reduce violent crime.