About the North STAR Alliance
North STAR prohibits state and local law enforcement from using state resources for the purpose of civil immigration enforcement. This includes sharing data or accepting federal funds that would require such cooperation. It does not prohibit collaboration on the basis of investigating criminal activity.
Immigration enforcement is the sole responsibility of the federal government. State law enforcement agencies do not have the legal authority to hold people on immigration detainer unless specially authorized to do so by the federal government, and the federal government cannot mandate compliance with immigration detainers. So state and local law enforcement can leave immigration to federal authorities while remaining in full compliance with state and federal laws. This frees up public safety resources for more appropriate ends.
This legislation is intended to engender trust between immigrant communities and law Enforcement. Currently many immigrants, particularly those who are undocumented, avoid reporting crimes, cooperating with investigations, or seeking emergency services due to fear of detainment or even deportation for doing so. North STAR will also benefit the state of Minnesota economically, as immigrants who may otherwise be ensnared by unauthorized, state level immigration enforcement can continue going about their day to day lives, work, support their families, pay taxes and spend money in the state. Statistics show that 63% of people in ICE detention have no criminal record, and many of them have been charged with minor offenses such as traffic violations. These detainers negatively impact families, cause employers to lose valuable workers, and drain state resources. A study from 2020 showed that jurisdictions that decouple local law enforcement from civil immigration enforcement reduce deportations without increasing crime. Another report from 2017 showed that cities and states with similar policies enjoyed lowered crime rates, higher median income rates, lower unemployment, lower poverty levels and reduced reliance on economic assistance programs.
