Immigrant rights groups occupying MN Governor Dayton’s office, demand veto of anti-immigrant bill
St. Paul, MN - On the evening of May 23, dozens of members of Minnesota immigrant rights groups occupied Governor Mark Dayton’s office in the State Capitol indefinitely to demand that he veto SF 470 - the Public Safety Budget Bill - which was passed by the Republican House and Senate the previous day. The protesters are planning to stay all night or as long as it takes to get the governor to veto the bill.
If Dayton signs the bill, as he initially stated he would, it would strengthen the unjust ban on undocumented immigrants’ obtaining drivers licenses. Currently, immigrants cannot get drivers licenses in Minnesota, but that is only due to an administrative rule put in place by a prior governor. The new bill would put that administrative rule into law, making it harder to change.
The occupation was called to put pressure on Dayton. The special legislative session is set to end Wednesday, May 24.
Protesters chanted “Governor Dayton, meet with us! Don’t throw immigrants under the bus!” and were impossible to ignore in the capitol.
