Title
Calling on Governor Walz to pass an eviction moratorium through Executive Order to support Saint Paul in keeping families in their homes, and further protect them from ICE.
Body
WHEREAS, the federal government’s campaign of indiscriminate mass deportation has inflicted terror nationwide; and the Trump administration’s fixation on Minnesota has cruelly targeted our community with harassment, intimidation, and violence; and
WHEREAS, the Twin Cities metro is experiencing the largest operation by the Department of Homeland Security in the nation’s history, with as many as 2,000 agents from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Customs and Border Patrol (CBP), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and other federal agencies deployed to Minnesota on January 6th, 2026, and an estimated 1,000 more agents to be deployed in the coming weeks; and
WHEREAS, the public has experienced and documented hundreds of instances of federal agents targeting and harassing residents based on the color of their skin, regardless of immigration status; and
WHEREAS, federal agents have been escalating violence against legal observers and community members protecting their neighbors, including Renee Nicole Good, who was murdered by an ICE agent on January 7, 2026;
WHEREAS, these threatening and violent attacks on our residents have occurred in public spaces including schools, streets, hospitals, sidewalks, grocery stores, places of worship, and bus stops. As a result, many residents are unable to move freely due to threat of harassment, violence, and abduction; forcing them to shelter-in place and impacting their ability to work and provide for their families; and
WHEREAS, in addition to the threat of violence and abduction, many families are grappling with the fear of eviction due to an inability to safely go to work; and
WHEREAS, in March 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Governor Walz issued an eviction moratorium through Executive Order, which gave residents statewide a lifeline and protection through an unprecedented national crisis; and
WHEREAS, residents in Minnesota, particularly in the Twin Cities, are once again experiencing unprecedented danger and are vulnerable to becoming displaced and homeless without government intervention, increasing their vulnerability to violence and abduction by the Trump administration; and
WHEREAS, the Saint Paul City Council stands alongside our neighbors who are under attack and call on elected leaders at all levels to support our efforts to protect our residents.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Saint Paul City Council calls on Governor Walz to utilize his authority as the state’s executive leader and issue an eviction moratorium to protect residents who have been harmed by the federal government’s unprecedented attacks.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, the Saint Paul City Council calls on the state to provide financial assistance to impacted cities to begin the significant recovery efforts needed to stabilize our communities.