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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 21, 2026
Contact:
Jay Willms, Director of Council Operations
Telephone: (651) 266-8564 | Email: councilcommunications@ci.stpaul.mn.us
Saint Paul City Council Advances Phased Ordinance Updates to Address Urgent Community Needs
SAINT PAUL – The Saint Paul City Council announced today that it is taking immediate action to introduce a series of ordinances and updates in response to federal immigration enforcement, working in partnership with the Mayor’s Office to clarify the City’s role relative to these actions.
The Council’s approach recognizes the urgency to act expediently while ensuring protections are clear, durable, and legally resilient. The Council acknowledges that since the events of November 25th, 2025, on Rose Avenue involving the Saint Paul Police Department, federal immigration enforcement tactics have changed rapidly. As a result, residents and the City cannot wait for a single comprehensive update to the City’s existing separation ordinance (Chapter 44 of the City’s Administrative Code).
Council President Rebecca Noecker, representing Ward 2, said, “Saint Paul is living through a moment of real fear and uncertainty, and our community is feeling that pain. Residents are asking whether they are safe and how the City will act — and we approach that responsibility with full resolve. Acting with urgency does not mean rushing past our legal duties. By advancing these updates in carefully planned phases, we can act decisively to protect our community when the stakes couldn’t be higher.”
Council Vice President HwaJeong Kim, Ward 5, said, “We are living under a military occupation and every person, Black, Asian, Indigenous, Latine is under attack; with the harshest of violence against our immigrant community. While establishing what we won’t do or won’t allow - we must move resources, create responsive solutions, and point our efforts to what we can do. Now more than ever, our neighbors are looking for courageous policy making, responsive government, and most importantly to see their local elected in community side by side with the residents we are sworn to serve.”
Councilmember Molly Coleman of Ward 4 added, “In recent weeks, we have seen the lengths to which ICE will go in order to inflict harm on our community—but we’ve also seen that our community refuses to be defeated. In Saint Paul, local government stands on the side of the people, and our Council will continue to do everything in our power to protect the people who make our city home.”
Councilmember Nelsie Yang, who represents Ward 6, said, “In recent months, ICE has wreaked havoc in our city and caused irreparable harm to community members through their dehumanizing tactics of racial profiling, intimidation, and lawlessness. Federal agents have repeatedly parked and used city property, including parking lots at libraries and recreation centers, as a staging area. This is unacceptable. Our city properties are safe and welcoming spaces—values that are deeply violated by ICE and the authoritarian Trump regime.”
The Council’s phased approach allows swifter action while providing stronger legal protection for ordinance changes. Today’s Council meeting saw the introduction of a new ordinance to prohibit the use of City-owned property, including parking lots, for staging federal immigration enforcement activities, with a public hearing scheduled for January 28. On the same day, the Council will introduce a second ordinance prohibiting the use of masks to hide identities and ensuring law enforcement identification and badge visibility. On February 4, the Council will consider key updates to Chapter 44, including:
- Strengthening training and reporting requirements related to the ordinance;
- Clarifying that the City’s policy is to not assist ICE or employ crowd control tactics during ICE operations; and
- Clarifying that nothing in the ordinance prevents public safety officials from responding to calls for aid from Saint Paul residents in the presence of ICE.
Speaking about the ordinance introduced today to prohibit the use of City-owned parking lots and property for staging immigration enforcement activities, Councilmember Yang said, “I am proud to sponsor this dire and life-saving ordinance in dedication to all who work, play, and live in Saint Paul. We need ICE out now.”
Ward 7 Councilmember Cheniqua Johnson agreed: “ICE has no place using Saint Paul’s public spaces to instill fear in our neighborhoods. By passing this ordinance, we are drawing a clear line: we want ICE out of Saint Paul and our city will not provide the infrastructure for ICE to continue traumatizing families, kidnapping neighbors, and destabilizing communities.”
“We’re going to keep clear separation between our city and this Federal ‘operation’. Our constituents don’t want ICE here and we will not do any of their work,” said Councilmember Saura Jost of Ward 3.
Councilmember Anika Bowie of Ward 1 said, “This ordinance makes it clear that our city property is meant to be safe, welcoming, and used lawfully by everyone. It affirms our values by setting clear expectations while reinforcing our commitment to protecting community spaces where residents can gather without fear or disruption.”
Taken together, the proposed updates are intended to:
- Respond comprehensively and swiftly to the daily realities faced by residents
- Provide clear guidance for law enforcement officers and other city employees performing their duties
- Reduce confusion during interactions with federal agencies
- Ensure residents can safely access city services
- Align city practice with existing law and legal authority
Additional information, including draft ordinances and meeting dates, will be shared as the legislative process proceeds.
About the City Council
The Saint Paul City Council is the city’s legislative body, setting policy, adopting budgets, and providing direct constituent services across the city’s wards. Learn more at www.stpaul.gov/department/city-council.
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