We believe Minnesota is a better place because of the immigrant neighbors who live among us, whether newly-arrived, green card holders, DACA recipients, or noncitizens. All have dignity and human rights. We are working to make Minnesota a Sanctuary State.
Please join us in making sure the The North STAR Act - Safety, Trust & Respect - gets the respect it deserves! It is a wonderful bill that needs to be enacted in our state. Call your representatives and senators to sign onto the bill. You can click HERE to view a version of the bill.
"When we all do better, we all do better"
Immigrants Strengthen Minnesota
We Must Protect Our Immigrant Neighbors
The Sanctuary Bill has been reintroduced in the Senate (SF 2724) by Senator Omar Fateh and the House (HF 2860) by Representative Sandra Feist. Very soon we will be setting up meetings with senators on certain committees. Help MSSC set up meetings with key legislators.
Join the MSSC Action Alert Network HERE
Thank you. And thank your MN representatives and MN senators for voting to pass the Drivers Licenses for All bill.
Press conference from January 30, 2023 for the HF4 - Drivers License for ALL Bill. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fbqH26FCm0g
List of organizational members: Episcopal Church in Minnesota - Interfaith Coalition on Immigration - Muslim American Society of Minnesota - Minnesota Conference of the United Church of Christ - Minnesota Council of Churches – Twin Cities Friends - Minnesota Unitarian Universalist Social Justice Alliance - Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee - Plymouth Congregational Church Immigrant Welcoming Committee - Center for Sustainable Justice - Sanctuary and Resistance to Injustice - St. Joan of Arc Catholic Church – First Universalist Church - Accompanying Migrant Minors with Protection, Advocacy, Representation and Opportunities - Lyndale United Church of Christ Social Justice Committee – University Baptist Church - Holy Trinity Lutheran Church - St. Paul Area Interfaith Coalition for Immigrant Justice - Mayflower United Church of Christ Immigration Team – Women’s March Minnesota - Spirit of St. Stephens Catholic Church Sanctuary and Resistance Task Force - Edina Community Lutheran Church - Shir Tikvah Synagogue - Basilica of St Mary - Interfaith Committee for Migrant Justice - University Lutheran Church of Hope - Centre for Asian and Pacific Islanders (CAPI) - Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) - Minnesota Freedom Fund (MFF) - For Progress - Communities Organizing Latino Power and ACTION (COPAL)
The state legislative session of 2023 has gotten off to a fast start, thanks to single-party alignment among the legislative and executive branches and we, as a coalition, are developing a strategy about how best to restructure our bill to advance in this new context. You will hear more about our bill in the near future. In the meantime, the MSSC steering committee has identified three pieces of legislation that we are encouraging coalition members to lend their voices and presence to supporting as all these bills will help protect our immigrant communities from ICE detention and deportation.
Our three priority bills are:
Driver’s Licenses for All (HF 4 / SF 27) – Restores the right for undocumented Minnesotans to be issued a driver’s license thus allowing them to legally drive again. This would give our immigrant neighbors the ability to care for their families, give employers access to much needed workers, and make our roads safer. Success!!
MinnesotaCare Public Option (HF 96 / SF 49) – Expands access to affordable healthcare for low- and middle-income Minnesotans, including the undocumented, and creates a buy-in for small business owners. (See previous post for more details.)
Gross Misdemeanor Sentencing Reform (HF 43 / SF 816) – Reduces the maximum sentence for gross misdemeanors from 365 to 364 days. This would free up criminal justice resources, remove barriers for people who’ve made mistakes in life to access federal programs, and would protect a number of our immigrant neighbors from deportation.
To sign up to be part of the Action Alert network of the Minnesota Sanctuary State Coalition or to be the point of contact for your organization! Sign up here https://bit.ly/3JAb8xg
MinnesotaCare Buy-In
Fact Sheet
Everyone deserves affordable, quality healthcare.
Across race, income, and zip code every person deserves access to healthcare, no exception. We know that our families, economy, and local communities are stronger when we all have access to truly affordable, high-quality healthcare that supports our health and wellbeing. It's time to pass a MinnesotaCare Buy-In this session to allow more Minnesotans access to affordable, comprehensive healthcare. MinnesotaCare was established in 1992 and is funded through state, federal, and enrollee contributions.
What is MinnesotaCare?
Established in 1992 with bipartisan leadership, MinnesotaCare is a public healthcare program for low-income working individuals. It is funded through state, federal, and enrollee contributions.
The MinnesotaCare Buy-In proposal would:
● Expand access to affordable healthcare by allowing middle-income Minnesotans struggling to afford high deductible plans on the individual market to buy-in to MinnesotaCare.
● Expand eligibility to include undocumented Minnesotans currently excluded from Minnesota Health Care Programs.
● Offer temporary assistance to help individuals and small businesses afford healthcare while the buy-in is being implemented.
● Create a path toward alternative care delivery systems that will work with providers to improve health outcomes, health equity, and access while maintaining affordability for the state and enrollees.
The MinnesotaCare Buy-In has strong support.
Since its introduction in 2016, a MinnesotaCare Buy-In has had strong support from across the state. Supporters include: family farmers, small business owners, artists, entrepreneurs, retired Minnesotans who do not yet qualify for Medicare, labor unions, community organizations, health equity groups, and healthcare professionals.
Health equity requires action.
Our health and wellbeing is interconnected. Minnesota has explicit health equity goals--but state law excludes undocumented immigrant community members, many of whom are people of color and essential workers, from accessing Minnesota Health Care Programs, and high deductible insurance plans cut many Minnesotans from getting the care they need. This proposal takes critical action to ensure our public healthcare system and the MinnesotaCare Buy-In leaves nobody out.
91% of Minnesotan surveyed believe the government should expand insurance options so that everyone can afford quality care.
(Healthcare Value Hub Survey, Nov2020)
Contact Robert Haider robert@takeactionminnesota.org or Sarah Greenfield sgreenfield@
MN Sanctuary State Coalition is a proud partner in the statewide movement to restore access to Minnesota Driver’s Licenses and State IDs for undocumented immigrants. The Driver's Licenses For All bill would allow 95,000 undocumented immigrants in Minnesota to get driver's licenses, making life safer for our immigrant neighbors. [Read more about the many benefits here.] After passing through the Transportation, Judiciary, and Ways and Means committees, the Driver's Licenses for All bill will be voted on on the MN House of Representatives floor this Monday, January 30, at 3:30 pm!
Join partners across the state to pack the state capitol and make history!
What: Driver's Licenses for All on the MN House of Representatives' Floor
When: January 30th 3:30 PM.
Where: MN State Capitol, Second Floor