Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak has urged department heads and other city officials to cancel any official travel plans to Arizona in the aftermath of its new immigration law.
Rybak urged city officials to find alternate ways of accomplishing the same business without traveling to the state. Arizona law makes it a state crime to be in the country illegally and authorizes police officers to ask people for proof of citizenship and hand illegal immigrants over to federal enforcers.
"This is a terrible law, and I do not want any public dollars to be spent there," Rybak said. "Furthermore, I am deeply concerned that this terrible policy could put our city employees who might be traveling there on official business at risk of being unlawfully racially profiled, detained or harmed."
St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman, who enjoys broader mayoral powers than Rybak, ordered an outright ban on travel to Arizona by St. Paul employees. Rybak spokesman John Stiles said Rybak probably lacks the power to issue a unilateral order, but wanted to take quick action.
STEVE BRANDT
