Legislation limits local law enforcement on mass immigration

By Robert Williams

Editor

Local Republicans and area legislators are speaking up against the North STAR Act, legislation that has been introduced by DFL members that would give Minnesota “Sanctuary State” status. The measure would prevent local law enforcement from cooperating with federal immigration enforcement and banning state government officials from enforcing civil immigration laws.

Members of the Lakes Area Patriots got the Becker County Board of Commissioners to pass a resolution against the new change in state flag earlier this month and returned to the Tuesday, Feb. 20 meeting to speak out about the North STAR Act.

“It would, in effect, tie the hands of local law enforcement when it comes to enforcing illegal aliens being brought into or coming into the county,” Becker County Republican Deputy Chair Brian Ahlsten said. “It bans local law enforcement from having any contact or working with federal agencies when it comes to illegal aliens.”

Ahlsten talked about the mass immigration numbers at both the northern and southern borders.

“It’s completely out of control,” he said. “If they’re brought into this county with restrictions on being able to tell what’s up, what they’re doing, why they’re here or even getting them out if they’re determined to be people who have ill intent, local law enforcement, Becker County Sheriff’s Office, for instance, would be prohibited from taking any action.”

Ahlsten was also speaking on behalf of the Lakes Area Patriots (LAP), sharing their belief that the North STAR Act would be very dangerous for the citizens of any county in Minnesota and that rural Minnesotans need to be heard on this issue.

Ahlsten requested the board to pass a resolution condemning the legislation, much like they did earlier this month in condemning the change of the state flag.

McLeod County (Hutchinson) unanimously passed a similar resolution and the issue is currently on the docket in Hubbard County.

Commissioner Barry Nelson expressed his concerns about how the legislation takes away the discretion of law enforcement and wants to run the information presented by Ahlsten, including the McLeod County resolution as a template, through the Sheriff’s Office for input.

Commissioner Erica Jepson noted the legislation is likely dead on arrival at the capitol, but wants the board to do their due diligence and send it through the Sheriff’s department.

Ahlsten responded with input from local legislators to “not buy that” referring to the assumption that the bill is dead and that it could easily be included in an omnibus bill at the end of the session.

“The more opposition we can mount in rural Minnesota I think our voice will be heard on that,” said Ahlsten.

The Minnesota Republican Congressional delegation has sent a letter to Governor Tim Walz highlighting a number of concerns with the DFL’s efforts to make Minnesota a Sanctuary State.

  “The ‘Sanctuary City/State’ experiment has proven to be an utter failure,” the letter stated. “These states and municipalities have become overrun with illegal immigrants and have used public schools, recreation centers, and parks to shelter these individuals. Now, residents in certain parts of the country are being asked to shelter illegal immigrants in their homes. We would like to remind you of the terrorist recently caught in Minneapolis who entered our country illegally through the southern border. Minnesotans do not need more crime and unknown terrorists in their towns and cities.

“This experiment is also costly and dangerous; ‘Sanctuary’ status costs taxpayers billions of dollars. Minnesota is already one of the highest-taxed states in the nation. We advise you against increasing the economic stress of the citizenry by gifting their hard-earned tax dollars to illegal immigrants.”

The full letter, signed by Rep. Pete Stauber, Rep. Brad Finstad, Rep. Michelle Fischbach and Majority Whip of the United States House of Representatives Tom Emmer, is available online at Congresswoman Fischbach’s homepage: fischbach.house.gov/

According to a press release condemning the North STAR Act, Fischbach was at the southern border earlier this month. She has talked with law enforcement and border patrol officers. She has a clear understanding of the very real crisis this country finds itself in due to this administration’s negligence and knows that now, more than ever, we need to be supporting and working with law enforcement not against them.