Star Tribune
Hennepin County and Minneapolis leaders back North STAR Act, which would make Minnesota a sanctuary state on immigration policy
Leaders from Hennepin County, Minneapolis and other local governments are backing efforts by DFL lawmakers to make Minnesota a sanctuary state for immigrants in the U.S. without legal authorization.
State lawmakers return to the Capitol in St. Paul on Feb. 12 and a sanctuary state bill, called the North Star Act, is one of many priorities for the DFL-led Legislature. Under the bill, state and local law enforcement and other government agencies would be barred from asking about a person’s immigration status or aiding in civil immigration enforcement.
It’s the latest local example in the growing national debate about immigration, what to do about the influx of migrants at the southern border, and how to best address the millions of people living in the U.S. without legal authorization.
Minnesota Democrats say they have a new sense of urgency to approve the measure while they have complete control of state government because former President Donald Trump is the likely GOP nominee. Trump has taken a hard-line stance on immigration, promising mass deportations.
“We should take him at his word, and act now to protect our neighbors from persecution by a right-wing federal government,” said Sen. Omar Fateh, DFL-Minneapolis, the bill’s primary sponsor in the Senate.
Rep. Kristin Robbins, R-Maple Grove, said the legislation is more extensive than sanctuary city policies enacted in Minneapolis and St. Paul and unlikely to be backed by Republicans. “To make it a statewide requirement is far beyond what most Minnesotans would support,” Robbins said.
The Hennepin County Board voted unanimously Jan. 23 to make a last-minute update to its legislative platform.
It says the board supports “efforts to ensure that non-citizen residents are assured due process in the criminal legal system, be free from harassment, and supported in their efforts to remain in Minnesota and contribute to community vibrancy.”
Minneapolis city leaders included a similar statement in their platform, and Minneapolis Public Schools and Richfield city officials have also signaled support.
Why it’s in the county’s platform
Commissioner Debbie Goettel said the addition was another way to emphasize the board’s commitment to supporting immigrants.
“I think we are just expressing our values,” Goettel said. “We are sending a message that we support immigrants. We want fair and humane treatment.”
Hennepin County and Minneapolis are among a handful of Minnesota governments that typically do not get involved with federal enforcement of civil immigration laws. The North Star Act would make that the policy of agencies across the state.
Members of the Decriminalizing Communities Coalition and ICE Out told Hennepin County commissioners during a Jan. 9 public input session that local agencies’ cooperation with federal immigration agents discouraged some crime victims from calling police because they feared deportation.
“This is a threat to the safety of all Hennepin County residents,” Amy Alvarez Cruz of Jewish Community Action told the board.
Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty and Sheriff Dawanna Witt said they supported the goal of the legislation. Both noted since their election in 2022 that they’ve made policy changes to limit federal immigration officials’ presence in county facilities.
“We want to do everything we can to support people who are victimized so they will cooperate with law enforcement, and with us, so we can prosecute crime,” Moriarty said.
In a statement, the Sheriff’s Office said Witt has backed removing the U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) office in the Hennepin County jail and limiting the use of immigration detainers there, and was committed to supporting legal protection for immigrants.
The North Star Act might be a tougher sell outside of the Twin Cities. Several greater Minnesota communities have seen influxes of immigrants in the last two decades and, sometimes, there has been friction.
Local officials like St. Cloud Mayor Dave Kleis said they’re focused on providing services to constituents, and immigration is outside the city’s purview. But Kleis said he thinks it is unconstitutional to ignore immigration laws.
“We focus on our core services and leave federal issues to the federal folks,” Kleis said.
Nobles County Administrator Bruce Heitkamp said he had never heard of the North Star Act, so he didn’t have a position on it. He noted that the dramatic increase in diversity in his southwestern Minnesota community was a positive thing.
“We embrace it. There have been a lot of wonderful things that have come out of it, challenges too,” Heitkamp said.
What would the North Star Act do?
If the bill becomes law, law enforcement and other government agencies — including school districts and public health agencies — would not be able to ask about a person’s immigration status or aid in civil immigration enforcement. Ten states have similar laws on the books and nine others have prohibitions on sanctuary policies.
“Any state and local government entity can be pressured by the Trump administration to share data and collaborate,” said Rep. Sandra Feist, DFL-New Brighton, primary sponsor of the bill in the House. “It is going to prevent us from wasting resources on enforcing a broken federal immigration system.”
Feist and Fateh added that the legislation would have no impact on any criminal proceeding or any case where federal law requires local governments to work with immigration officials.
“This bill recognizes and upholds existing precedent, which says that states should not have a direct role in enforcing immigration policy,” Fateh said.
The bill will be controversial with Minnesota Republicans, who have favored a more hardline stance on immigration enforcement. GOP members criticized DFLers last year when they approved bills allowing immigrants without proper documentation to obtain driver’s licenses and sign up for MinnesotaCare, the state insurance for the working poor.
Senate Minority Leader Mark Johnson, R-East Grand Forks, said it was wrong to “make Minnesota a more enticing place to go to avoid the consequences of violating immigration law,” and “unfair to force Minnesota taxpayers to pay for the high costs associated with illegal immigration due to overburdening our social services.”
Star Tribune staff writer Jenny Berg contributed to this story.
A former Medtronic consultant received an 18-month prison sentence this week for his role in a scheme linked to the $1.6 billion acquisition of an Israeli medical device company in 2018.
A federal jury in February convicted Doron “Ron” Tavlin, 69, of Minneapolis, of one count of conspiracy to engage in insider trading and 10 additional counts related to securities fraud. That same jury found David Jay Gantman, 58, of Mendota Heights, not guilty of all charges against him. A third defendant — Afshin “Alex” Farahan, 57, of Los Angeles — pleaded guilty in 2022 and has yet to be sentenced.
“His crime was cynical and brazen. It was also reckless,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Ebert wrote in a memo calling for a 3-year prison term. “Tavlin’s conduct had the potential to blow up a deal that a team of executives and financial advisers had been diligently negotiating for months.”
Tavlin is now scheduled to self-surrender Jan. 5 to begin his prison term, which will be followed by 320 hours of community service.
According to the evidence presented at trial, Tavlin learned about a secret, pending acquisition by Medtronic of Mazor Robotics, where he worked as vice president of business development, in 2018. Tavlin also previously worked as a consultant to the Ireland-based Medtronic, which also has a headquarters in Fridley.
Tavlin illegally tipped off Farahan, his friend, about news of the imminent acquisition and told him to keep the news secret. Farahan knew the deal would likely result in a boost to Mazor’s stock price and quickly bought more than $1 million of the company’s stock throughout August and September 2018. Medtronic announced plans to acquire Mazor, which specialized in robotics for spinal procedures, in September 2018 and the deal closed three months later.
Prosecutors said Farahan netted more than $245,000, and Gantman made $255,000 in profit by selling the securities quickly after the deal was publicized. Farahan paid Tavlin for the secret information about the pending deal — including a $25,000 kickback about a year later —according to prosecutors.
U.S. District Judge Donovan Frank, who sentenced Tavlin Monday, also ordered Tavlin to pay a special assessment fee of $1,100 – or $100 per each count. Frank did not impose a fine.
Star Tribune
Charges detail assault in Minneapolis that led to shooting rampage, killing one in Kandiyohi County
Another friend of the ex-girlfriend arrived to help. He pulled up in a car as the group exited the apartment and Matariyeh immediately pointed a gun at him before pounding on the windshield with the gun. Everyone fled as Matariyeh ran back inside the apartment.
The two men met in a parking lot before attempting to return to the apartment. That’s when they looked up and saw Matariyeh on the balcony. Matariyeh immediately began firing multiple shots at them as they took cover behind parked cars.
It was around this time that Minneapolis police officers arrived and made contact with Matariyeh’s ex-girlfriend. She believed he was still inside the apartment, but officers later learned that he had fled. They reached him on the phone. He told officers he was going to kill innocent people if he couldn’t speak with his ex-girlfriend or see his daughter, who was at daycare at the time. He later told police negotiators that “he wanted to go out by ‘suicide by cop.’”
All the while, Matariyeh was speeding westbound.
Police officers pursued him near Cosmos in Meeker County after being alerted that Matariyeh might have stolen another vehicle at gunpoint in Carver County.
Around 2 p.m. he pulled into the rural driveway of Peter Mayerchak in Lake Lillian. Mayerchak, who was in his yard placing hay over his septic mound, went and greeted Matariyeh, who shot him in the chest.
Mixing progressive dreams with dire warnings, a group of DFL leaders riled up a group of volunteers in St. Paul on Thursday morning, urging them to push on through the day’s freezing rain and fatigue in the remaining days before the election.
Several elected officials including Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan and U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar told the group of about 150 campaign staffers, volunteers and union members about how meaningful their work is to keeping DFL control of the Legislature, as the electeds start a statewide bus tour to turn out votes.
“We are here to keep our trifecta here in Minnesota,” U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar told volunteers on Thursday. “We’ve got five days, people!”
On the Republican side, House Minority Leader Lisa Demuth, R-Cold Spring, said earlier this month that the House Republican Campaign Committee had raised a record $2.7 million ahead of the election and she said Republicans have also set records in volunteering and door-knocking as they work to break DFL control.
Minnesota Democrats hold a rally before starting a bus tour around the state to get voters excited, including Rep Ilhan Omar, Sen Amy Klobuchar, Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan, House Speaker Melissa Hortman, Senate Majority Leader Erin Murphy, Rep Betty McCollum and Sen Tina Smith on Thursday. (Glen Stubbe/The Minnesota Star Tribune)
“Republicans have the momentum and resources heading into the final stretch to win the majority and restore balance to Minnesota,” Demuth said in a statement. “Minnesotans are ready to move on from the expensive two years of Democrat one-party rule.”
House Speaker Melissa Hortman, DFL-Brooklyn Park, said she thought voters preferred action to the gridlock of divided government. “They’re looking for people who can get things done,” she said.
These last-minute get-out-the-vote efforts come as Democrats around the country push to keep control of state legislative chambers and try to flip a few statehouses that Republicans hold by just a few seats.
The Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee, the arm of the national Democratic party that works on statehouse races across the country, has spent $500,000 on Minnesota races this year, including House races and the state Senate contest.
