Our beautiful city is in the midst of a moment unlike anything we’ve seen in the United States in my lifetime. Members of our community are being violently taken from us. Neighbors are being surveilled and harassed. Families are losing their ability to work, send their kids to school, and care for their loved ones. This attack on our diverse, multi-racial, multi-cultural city is illegal, unconstitutional, and immoral.
Yet in the midst of this, I’ve seen Ward Four come together to give our all to protecting our neighbors and preserving all that is best about Saint Paul. Our neighbors are feeding families who can’t leave their homes, delivering hundreds of thousands of diapers to parents of small children in need, standing in defense of our mosques and daycares and schools even on the coldest days of the year, and strengthening the bonds that will allow us to move our city forward. In a time of incredible darkness, I have never, ever been prouder to be a member of this community.
Within and outside of City Hall, our Ward Four team is doing everything we can to respond to ICE’s presence in Saint Paul—more on that below. If you’re in need of support or want to talk more about what we on the Council can do to respond to this crisis, please never hesitate to reach out.
In solidarity and community,
Molly Coleman, Ward 4 Councilmember, ward4@ci.stpaul.mn.us
Jenne Nelson, Legislative Aide, jenne.nelson@ci.stpaul.mn.us
Kristin Koziol, Executive Assistant, kristin.koziol@ci.stpaul.mn.us
Kaitlynn Fuller, Communications Intern, kaitlynn.fuller@ci.stpaul.mn.us
My City Council colleagues and I have been working hard to support our community during this time. First, we announced a phased series of ordinance updates that will allow us to use all of the tools at our disposal to protect our city from unlawful federal immigration enforcement action. You can read the press release on the phased ordinance updates for more information, as well as statements from my colleagues and me. You can also watch the January 21st city council meeting VOD. Here are some relevant timestamps:
- 23:35, unanimous approval of a resolution calling on Governor Walz to enact an eviction moratorium.
- 53:31, introduction of a new ordinance that prohibits the use of City-owned public spaces for federal immigration enforcement staging operations and prohibits access to non-public spaces.
- 1:49:28, the public hearing testimony of residents about the impacts of federal immigration enforcement actions.
Next, we had our January 28th city council meeting. Here are some relevant timestamps from that meeting:
- 18:02, first reading of the ordinance for law enforcement to require visible insignia. The second reading will be on February 4th.
- 36:31, public hearing for the ordinance regarding City-owned parking lots. The final adoption vote will be on February 4th.
- 1:49:39, public hearing for grievances about federal immigration operations.
There was also a Public Safety Committee meeting last week to discuss non-legislative solutions that need to reside within our internal accountability processes (PCIARC) and within SPPD operating policies (versus the City's legislative or administrative code).
If you personally witness ICE activity, please report it to one of these rapid response lines:
- Monarca, 612-441-2881
- Immigrant Defense Network, 612-255-3112
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Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee, miracmn@gmail.com
Monarca Hotline to Report ICE Activity: 612-441-2881
From National Immigration Law Center - Guide for Employers: What to do if ICE comes to your workplace: https://www.nilc.org/resources/a-guide-for-employers-what-to-do-if-immigration-comes-to-your-workplace/ This includes a helpful explanation of an administrative versus judicial warrant.
Other Community Resources
Keystone Community Food Center: Visit the food center at 1800 University Ave W. No appointment or advanced registration is required. Food shelf participants are served on a first come, first served basis during the hours listed below. Please call 651-917-3792 if you have any questions.
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Monday: 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. & 2:00 – 4:00 p.m.
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Tuesday: 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. & 2:00 – 4:00 p.m.
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Wednesday: 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. & 4:00 – 6:00 p.m.
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Thursday: 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. & 2:00 – 4:00 p.m.
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Friday: 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. & 2:00 – 4:00 p.m.
Housing Rental/Emergency Assistance: If you need help paying help for rent, mortgage, utilities or car repairs, contact Ramsey County Emergency Assistance at (651) 266-4884.
If you are able, donating is a great way to support our community during this time. Here are some organizations we recommend you support, along with links to donate to them.
For non-monetary donations, please consider donating winter gear (hats, gloves, and scarves) to the Hubert H. Humphrey Job Corps. Contact Kaila at broad.kaila@jobcorps.org or 651-368-6053 if you're interested in donating.
We are also updating our Ward 4 LinkTree with donation links.
You can also visit the Stand with Minnesota resource hub for more places to donate.
'Nothing has changed’: Minneapolis on edge despite Trump’s de-escalation vow - CM Coleman quoted, The Guardian, Jan. 29th, 2026
"The People of Minnesota Are Stronger Than the Federal Government That Seeks to Break Us” - authored by CM Coleman, Balls and Strikes, Jan. 28th, 2026
In Minnesota, the Fight Against ICE Is Also the Fight Against Authoritarianism - authored by CM Coleman, Slate, Jan. 25, 2026
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