Minnesota lawmakers recently introduced a bill that would prevent state and local government agencies from not allowing employees to share immigration data requested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

The bill also requires county attorneys to report any illegal immigrant arrested for a violent crime, even if they are not charged, and prohibits law enforcement from not cooperating with ICE.

President Donald Trump, who campaigned for an immigration crackdown, loosened restrictions on ICE, allowing broader enforcement.

ICE agents arrest an illegal migrant. (ICE)

The bill, which was introduced in February, went before the Minnesota House of Representatives in the Public Safety Finance and Policy Committee on Wednesday, FOX 9 reported. It will be sent to the House Elections Finance and Government Operations Committee for further discussion following a roll-call vote.

The Democratic-Farmer-Labor (DFL)-led Minnesota Senate and Gov. Tim Walz will need to be on board for the bill to be signed into law, a tough feat considering the state’s promise to remain a “sanctuary state,” and not cooperate with federal ICE efforts.

Last year, DFL legislators introduced the North STAR Act to make Minnesota a sanctuary state.

ICE is conducting flights to remove illegal immigrants from the U.S. and send them back to their home countries. (ICE)

Those in support of the bill cited the need for the state to follow federal standards on immigration reform. However, critics warned the large scope could be used to target minority communities.

Ben Gleekel with the Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota told FOX 9 the bill could make Minnesotans “less safe.”

“Non-citizens and citizen victims of domestic violence and trafficking will suffer the most,” Gleekel said. “They will not risk calling local law enforcement to report a crime, if they know that it means their families will be separated or that they themselves might be apprehended. Prohibiting entities that know their communities best from maintaining clear boundaries between state and federal government will erode the important trust that exists between our immigrant communities and local law enforcement… .”

ICE is already outpacing the total number of arrests in 2024, the agency said Wednesday. 

The agency also found tens of thousands of cases that were recorded as arrests actually resulted in releases into American communities.

Fox News Digital’s Adam Shaw contributed to this report.