Law enforcement now required to wear visible ID, prohibited from wearing masks

Rent assistance program in St. Paul for those affected by ICE totals $3.8 million

People gathered at the Minnesota State Capitol Rotunda on Wednesday, Feb. 18 for an ICE OUT OF MINNESOTA rally, march and action. Organizers demanded that “state leadership and Republicans stand with us amid the federal occupation and take action to restore and heal our state and communities from the carnage caused by Trump’s ICE.” Representative Finke (DFL-Saint Paul) is sponsoring HF3412 to require that agents exhibit visible identification and not wear masks, and HF3358 to require that vehicles used to transport detainees be marked as law enforcement. (Photo submitted)

“Accountability is really important,” St. Paul’s new mayor Kaohly Her told about 100 people gathered for the Midway Chamber luncheon on Feb. 18 at Como Conservatory. “It’s something we talk about every single day in our office.” In response to a question, Mayor Her observed that construction has resumed at the Highland Bridge and the Heights sites. She said there are various commercial and industrial proposals for the West Rock site in the Midway, but nothing solid she can announce yet. “People are proposing and wanting to invest in our city,” said Her. Small businesses told Mayor Her they were down 60-70 percent during the occupation by federal agents. “Everybody’s really hurting,” said Her. The city is looking at what options are available, such as deferring certain payments or redirecting funds, and how to do that quickly. “If there are ideas you have, please reach out to our office,” said Mayor Her.

Photo by Tesha M. Christensen

Posted Wednesday, March 11, 2026 11:40 am

By Jane McClure

Help is on the way for St. Paul tenants who are behind on their rent, an effect of the ongoing Operation Metro Surge.

The City Council and Mayor Kaohly Her Feb. 25, 2026 allocated funding to the city’s recently revived rent assistance program. The funds now total $3.8 million.

Rent assistance has been a key focus for community groups as well as city leaders, as people sheltering in place are unable to work and support themselves. Advocates have warned of a looming eviction crisis. They have urged state officials to call for an eviction moratorium and to provide statewide rental assistance. Thus far neither action has found traction at the state capitol.

City officials have faced criticism for not acting on rent help sooner. Minneapolis had already approved $41 million in rental help.

Food and personal care products assistance, as well as observer training, continue throughout the area, as do protests and vigils.

ICE REGULATIONS
City Council members in St. Paul continue to hold weekly public hearings on Operation Metro Surge and enforcement actions. The council over the past several weeks has also reviewed and voted on different measures to regulate the Department of Homeland Security and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents.

Council members are bringing forward measures to strengthen the city’s separation ordinance, spelling out the duties of local law enforcement versus federal agents. Those measures will continue despite the Feb. 12 announcement that Operation Metro Surge is winding down. White House border czar Tom Homan made the announcement, saying that a smaller number of personnel will stay in Minnesota for a transition. He didn’t offer specifics.

Some criticisms at the Feb. 11 hearing followed an earlier incident at Selby and Western avenues earlier that day, after an ICE chase resulted in three damaged vehicles and one person being taken away in an ambulance.

The City Council in February gave unanimous approval to an ordinance that requires law enforcement officers to visibly display identification on the outermost layer of their uniforms while performing official duties. Identification can be in the form of a nameplate or badge number, or both. The council also approved an ordinance restricting the wearing of masks by law enforcement officers.

The council passed a resolution asking that the city’s hotels not house federal immigration agents, citing city residents’ “increased anxiety, fear, and economic hardship as a result of heightened immigration enforcement activities in the Twin Cities metropolitan area.” While council members admitted that they cannot force hotels to bar ICE agents, the resolution sends a message that ICE isn’t welcome in St. Paul.

“When agents of the state wield power over the lives of people in St. Paul, our residents deserve to know who they are and under what authority they are operating,” said Ward Four Council Member Molly Coleman.
Speakers at the council public hearings have said they want the city to do more, with several speakers from the group Neighbors Protecting Neighbors. Some referenced the November 2025 incident on Rose Avenue where St. Paul Police were called to assist ICE in a detainment action. Chemical irritants and nonlethal munitions were used on a large crowd.

“I live in the real St. Paul and things are getting worse each day,” said Ward Two resident Peter Zender. He and others said the council shouldn’t be taking piecemeal approach to regulating ICE.

Ward One resident Megan Unruh, who saw the aftermath of the Selby-Western accident, asked the council to do more. “It is mid-February and what material relief do we have here?” she asked.

The fleeing driver wound up in an accident, colliding with one vehicle and then another. The driver fled on foot but was brought back to the scene by another federal agent’s vehicle. A second person was injured in the accident. A crowd of about 100 people gathered to witness the accident.

Assistant Department of Homeland Security Secretary Tricia McLaughlin issued a statement indicating that ICE agents were trying to stop a man from Honduras who was suspected of being in the country illegally when the chase began. The statement criticized the man for driving recklessly and endangering public safety.

Her issued a statement about the accident, saying it “underscores the fact that ICE is still present, causing chaos, and putting residents at risk in St. Paul. I want to thank those who continue to show up and keep watch over their neighbors.”

Her thanked St. Paul Police for their actions at the scene, but added, “This is just another incident that tells us loud and clear: Operation Metro Surge needs to end immediately.”