Yesterday, the Democratic-Farmer-Labor (DFL) introduced HF3415 in the Children and Families Finance and Policy Committee.
The bill as originally introduced would have inappropriately restricted Department of Homeland Security (DHS) agents investigating immigration violations. These restrictions included vague requirements of providing “valid identification,” “providing a written statement of purpose,” and obtaining “approval from the childcare facility’s license holder” before a DHS agent with a judicial warrant could enter a childcare facility.
Public safety policy fellow Zimmer submitted written testimony pointing out that the bill ignored the legal authority granted by a judicial warrant and would have placed childcare professionals in a catch-22 by obligating them to obstruct federal agents. Most significantly, the bill would have violated the Supremacy Clause of the U.S. Constitution, which prohibits states from passing law that would conflict with or undermine the authority of the federal government.
American Experiment provided the only testimony in opposition the bill.
During the hearing, DFL committee members introduced a DE amendment that struck some of the conflicts pointed out in our opposition letter. That amendment was accepted, and 14 testifiers testified in support of the bill as amended.
Member discussion was followed by a committee vote. The bill was voted upon and failed to move out of committee on a split party line vote.
