Republican Legislators Propose Citizenship Status Check for Convicted Felons

Minnesota Republican legislators have introduced legislation that would require law enforcement officers to check the country citizenship and immigration status of the arrested felon.

Paul Utke via Facebook

Minnesota state Senator Paul Utke (R- Park Rapids), Representative Matt Grossell (R- Clearbrook), and Representative John Poston (R- Lake Shore) introduced bills in the house and senate last week that would require immigration status and country of origin to be recorded for a convicted felon.

The bill also requires law enforcement to notify within 24 hours of arrest a United States immigration officer, if reasonable cause is found that the felon arrestee may be an undocumented citizen.

This piece of legislation could prove to be beneficial in cases like a 2018 Shakopee, Minnesota murder where Fraider Diaz-Carbajal, an illegal immigrant, was charged with killing a 27-year-old woman. Diaz-Carbajal has other previous convictions on his record, including three DUI’s and a felony of domestic assault.

In the Senate, the bill was referred to Judiciary and Public Safety Finance and Policy which is chaired by Republican Warren Limmer. It is unlikely for Democrat leadership in the Minnesota house to support this bill.

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Megan Olson

Megan Olson is a 2020 graduate of the University of Minnesota with degrees in political science and history. She works in public affairs in addition to serving on the Legislative Advisory Council for School District 196. She is also on the school board for FIT academy, a charter school in Apple Valley.