Title
Adding Chapter 268 to the Legislative Code to prohibit law enforcement staging operations on city-owned properties and limit access to non-public City spaces.
Body
Section 1.
WHEREAS, Saint Paul is committed to the rule of law;
WHEREAS, Saint Paul was founded upon the lands of indigenous people, making nearly all 310,000 residents of this city immigrants or the descendants of immigrants;
WHEREAS, Saint Paul’s strength and vitality is a direct result of welcoming immigrants and diverse populations; from French fur traders, to Black porters, to Irish railroad workers, to Swedes in Swede Hollow, to Latinos of the West Side, to today’s Hmong, Somali, Karen, Ethiopian, Eritrean, and many other neighbors that enrich all aspects of Saint Paul’s civil life;
WHEREAS, the Saint Paul City Council and the Mayoral Administration are dedicated to the safety and well-being of all residents of our city regardless of their immigration status;
WHEREAS, the Saint Paul City Council and the Mayoral Administration are dedicated to the efficient and equitable use of city resources;
WHEREAS, Saint Paul city resources and locales are designed and maintained to serve all residents of Saint Paul, with the City Charter explicitly reserving the use of park property, including parking lots, for park purposes;
WHEREAS, the Saint Paul City Attorney issued a cease and desist letter on December 19, 2025, to the Acting Director of the Saint Paul Field Office of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which stated that any use of park parking lots by DHS/HSI/ICE without a permit is an unlawful use of City property and must desist immediately from using Saint Paul park parking lots.
WHEREAS, the cease and desist letter dated December 19, 2025, reserved the City “all rights and remedies available it under the law” and specifically noted that the City “will not hesitate to enforce those rights,” which heretofore those rights include authority in the City Charter to enact and enforce a legislative ordinance.
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, Saint Paul City Council adds Chapter 268 to the Legislative Code to prohibit law enforcement staging operations on city-owned properties and limit access to non-public city spaces and codify the cease and desist letter issued on December 19th.
The City Council of the City of Saint Paul Does Ordain:
Section 2.
Sec. 268.01. Access to City property.
(a) Definitions.
(1) “Enforcing federal immigration laws” means any and all efforts by a law enforcement agency to investigate or penalize a person’s presence in, entry, or reentry to, or employment in the United States.
(2) "Staging area" means an area that is used to assemble, mobilize, coordinate, and/or deploy vehicles, equipment, or materials, and related personnel, for the purpose of carrying out operations for the enforcement of federal immigration laws.
(b) Access prohibited.
(1) City-owned or city-controlled parking lots, ramps, vacant lots, and garages are not open to the general public without restrictions. No federal, state, or local government entity or personnel is authorized to use any city-owned or city-controlled parking lot or ramp, vacant lot, or garage as a staging area, processing location, operations base, or any other similar use for enforcing federal immigration laws. City officials are subject to the requirements of Chapter 44 of the Administrative Code and may not consent or authorize any access to city-owned or city-controlled property except when required by a signed judicial warrant or when access is otherwise required by law. Such spaces are not available to the general public for similar activities, and federal, state, or local government entities or personnel will not receive special or enhanced access to city property for operations enforcing federal immigration laws.
(2) The city restricts access to non-public city spaces. Non-public city spaces are areas owned or controlled by the city that are not accessible to the general public. Examples of non-public city spaces include restricted areas requiring badge access, breakrooms, workstations (including those in an open area if the general public is not permitted in the workstation), storage closets, and employee-only areas. Non-public city spaces are not open for the purposes of enforcement of federal immigration laws except with a signed judicial warrant or when access is otherwise required by law. City employees do not have the legal authority to consent to permit access to non-public city spaces in situations where a signed judicial warrant or other legal obligation would otherwise be necessary to gain access.
(c) Application.
This section is not intended to and must not be construed to interfere with the city’s compliance with the terms of any contract in effect as of the effective date of this section to which the city is a party. This section does not apply to property owned by the federal government and operated by or leased to the city.
This section may not be construed as restricting or interfering with the execution of court orders or judicial warrants, or the enforcement of criminal law, nor as limiting the rights of any person or entity under state or federal law.
Section 3.
This ordinance shall take effect thirty (30) days after passage, approval by the Mayor, and publication in the City's newspaper.