Minnesota Lawyers Coordinating To Minimize Chances of ICE Enforcement Actions.

Emails from members of a Minnesota criminal defense lawyers' association show coordinated efforts to help undocumented immigrants avoid Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) apprehension in Minneapolis.

The emails, circulated within a private listserv for members of the Minnesota Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (MACDL) and discuss strategies such as requesting virtual court hearings to prevent in-person arrests.

The emails coincide with a legal opinion issued by Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, in which he said that that state and local law enforcement agencies cannot detain individuals based solely on immigration holds if they would otherwise be released. One email warned that plainclothes ICE officers had been spotted at the Hennepin County Public Safety Facility, urging recipients to "do all we can to keep our clients safe."

Several attorneys responded by suggesting ways to keep defendants out of court, including requesting Zoom hearings to minimize physical presence. One attorney noted that judges in Minnesota's Third Judicial District had proactively encouraged such requests in light of ICE's presence at courthouses. Others advised against explicitly mentioning immigration concerns in formal filings, suggesting alternative justifications.

Moar here: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/minnesota-lawyers-reportedly-coordinating-to-minimize-chances-of-ice-enforcement-actions-in-the-city/ar-AA1B673L