Welcoming New Americans

Immigrants are a fundamental part of Minneapolis’ cultural brilliance, dynamism, and economic success. In order to achieve a multiracial democracy in Minneapolis and reach our full potential as a community, we must prioritize efforts to support immigrant and refugee families. Under my leadership, we will devote the much-needed staff and resources to ensure that no one’s immigration status or zip code limits the opportunities they can have. Minneapolis should and can lead the nation in programs, policies, and initiatives that make us the most welcoming place for New American families.

We will launch this work by convening a special task force composed of impacted community members, experts, and advocates who can help our city to build on successes and recommend new initiatives to better serve New American communities. I will use the strength of the Mayor’s office to bring attention, resources, and partners to this effort. I will also invest in growing the City’s one-person Office of Immigrant and Refugee Affairs into a fully staffed department.

KEY PILLARS:

• Minneapolis Dream Act

  • Expand financial support to meet the academic and professional needs of our City’s young people and deploy wraparound services to allow them to thrive.

• Family Reunification and Human Rights

  • Being an unabashed immigration champion by listening to the community and protecting families from being torn apart by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents and stopping the flow of unproductive Countering Violent Extremism (CVE) grant money.

• Civic Engagement and Immigration Reform

  • Implement a task force to better understand the needs of our residents and to push for long overdue fair and humane immigration reform.

• Achieving the American Dream

  • Put into action robust strategies to uplift entrepreneurs that have made our cultural commercial corridors shine and to open new professional opportunities for young immigrants.

MINNEAPOLIS DREAM ACT

As a former State Legislator, I have listened firsthand to the heartbreaking stories of incredibly talented immigrant youth that have been impacted by the lack of a financial scholarship system that meets their needs. As we face the challenges of a shrinking workforce and the inequitable distribution of financial support for young immigrants, municipal leaders need to step up in the midst of gridlock in both the State Legislature and Congress. That is why when I become Mayor, I will push for a Minneapolis Dream Act and work collaboratively with City Council, philanthropic foundations, governmental agencies, regional planning organizations, small businesses, and community organizations to further help young people reach their educational and professional dreams. The Minneapolis Dream Act will consist of:

• Establishing a fund to help DACA recipients with the cost of reapplying to the employment authorization and deportation protection program

• Financial support in the form of scholarships and aid for undocumented students pursuing higher education in a Minneapolis-based College, University, or trade school

• Expanding work and internship opportunities for non-traditional immigrant youth and students

• Providing culturally appropriate transportation access through regional governmental agencies

FAMILY REUNIFICATION and HUMAN RIGHTS

The broken federal immigration system continues to abuse hard-working families through inhumane deportations and unjust incarceration that undermine our shared social fabric. We will:

• Expand and strengthen the protections under the City’s current Separation Ordinance, preventing our local peace officers from collaborating with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents

• Stop the flow of resources coming into the City from Homeland Security in the funding of the Countering Violent Extremism (CVE) grant program

• Engage all levels of government to ensure we’re protecting the labor and human rights of every immigrant resident in Minneapolis and advancing policies that keep families, youth, and communities together

• Partner with community organizations to create a “Right to Counsel” fund and assist immigrants in immigration proceedings

CIVIC ENGAGEMENT and IMMIGRATION REFORM

Fair and humane immigration reform is long overdue in our country. As Mayor, I will organize through strategic partners like the National League of Cities and with other cities across the nation to push for the passage of a federal immigration reform bill. Additionally, we will improve our civic engagement efforts with immigrant residents. Through a task force and the power of the Office of the Mayor, we will:

• Audit all of the City’s civic engagement opportunities from grants, to commissions, and employment programs to implement changes that remove barriers to participation from immigrant and refugee communities 

• We will also focus on removing state legislation that prevents immigrants from voting in local municipal and school board elections

• Increase culturally appropriate translation/interpretation efforts

• Work with community partners to increase Citizenship education for permanent residents

ACHIEVING the AMERICAN DREAM

Young people and entrepreneurs have innovated and revitalized struggling commercial corridors throughout our city and have helped Minneapolis compete at a global level. I am committing a Knuth administration to:

• Invest in creating a clear path for all immigrant and refugee youth, students, and business owners to thrive

• Partner with the Youth Coordinating Board, Achieve Minneapolis, Urban Scholars, the Step-Up program, and other key groups to identify gaps in the field and implement strategic changes that empower and better serve DACA recipients and their families

• Work with the Community Planning and Economic Development Department and its workforce readiness division, along with the Department of Civil Rights, the new Arts and Cultural Affairs Department, and the Health Department to map out cooperative efforts for enhanced services that stabilize immigrant-owned businesses, immigrant workers, and immigrant youth