Minn. committee re-refers bill requiring local reporting to ICE after contentious debate

House File 16, a bill that would limit state and local prohibitions on sharing immigration data with federal authorities and require county attorneys to notify federal immigration authorities when an undocumented person is arrested on suspicion of a violent crime, was re-referred to the Elections, Finance and Government Operations Committee after a 10-9 roll-call vote.

The bill’s sponsor, Representative Reimer, said the measure is intended to “bring us in accordance with” federal priorities and to focus on offenders the bill identifies as violent. "This bill targets violent offenders. That is what this bill is designed to do," Representative Reimer said during committee discussion.

Supporters framed the proposal as a public-safety measure to ensure cooperation with federal immigration enforcement in cases involving violent crime. Representative Hudson summarized the bill’s three sections during the hearing: it would (1) prohibit state or local entities from blocking receipt or transmission of federal immigration agency data, (2) prevent government entities from prohibiting…