Purpose

This bill would require publicly funded state and local institutions that house inmates to ask about the inmate’s nationality and to notify United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) if the inmate is an undocumented alien. It aims to increase cooperation with federal immigration enforcement by sharing certain details about the inmate’s background and immigration status.

Main provisions

• Inmate identification and notification (Section 1)

  • When a person convicted of a felony or a person who is mentally ill is in custody at a state or county institution that is publicly funded (such as Minnesota Correctional Facilities Stillwater or St. Cloud), the chief executive officer, sheriff, or other officer in charge must immediately inquire into the person’s nationality.
  • If the person appears to be an undocumented alien, the officer must promptly notify the ICE district office that covers the facility. The notification must include:
  • the date of the conviction and the crime for which the person was committed
  • the length of time the person is committed
  • the country the person is a citizen of
  • the date and port of entry the person last entered the United States
  • The same process applies to a person who is mentally ill and dangerous to the public (as defined by referenced law) or who poses a risk due to mental illness, with the same required information to be shared with ICE.

• Inmate Immigration Status Review (Section 2)

  • By September 1, 2025, the commissioner of corrections, the chief executive officer, sheriff, or other officer in charge of a publicly funded state or county institution housing persons serving a felony sentence must inquire into the nationality of each person in their custody who is serving a felony sentence.
  • If it appears that any such person is an undocumented alien, the officer must immediately notify the ICE district office with:
  • the date of the conviction and the crime for which the alien was convicted
  • the length of time the alien is committed
  • the country of which the alien is a citizen
  • the date and port at which the alien last entered the United States

Significant changes to existing law

• Expands mandatory ICE notification
  • The bill adds a statutory requirement for facility leaders to actively determine nationality and to notify ICE with specific information when an inmate is undocumented.
• Broadens scope to include mental illness cases
  • In addition to felons, the bill requires these steps for inmates who are mentally ill and dangerous to the public or who pose a risk due to mental illness.
• Establishes a nationwide timeline for implementation
  • Introduces a clear deadline (September 1, 2025) for facilities housing felony inmates to conduct nationality inquiries and report undocumented status to ICE.

Practical implications

• Operational impact
  • Facilities will need procedures to determine nationality and to collect and share the listed information with ICE.
• Policy and civil rights considerations
  • The requirement directly ties public facilities to federal immigration enforcement actions, which could have broader impacts on undocumented individuals housed in state or local institutions.

Terminology included from the bill

• Undocumented alien
• Nationality
• Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)
• Port of entry / port at which last entered the United States
• Country of citizenship
• Conviction
• Crime
• Felony
• Mentally ill / mentally ill person
• Dangerous to the public
• State or county institution (publicly funded)
• Minnesota Correctional Facility Stillwater
• Minnesota Correctional Facility St. Cloud
• Chief executive officer
• Sheriff

Relevant Terms - undocumented alien - ICE - nationality - port of entry - country of citizenship - conviction - crime - felony - mentally ill - dangerous to the public - Minnesota Correctional Facility Stillwater - Minnesota Correctional Facility St. Cloud - chief executive officer - sheriff - publicly funded - September 1, 2025