Supporting the Neighbors Not Enemies Act press conference RESOLUTION Supporting H.R. 630: Neighbors not Enemies Act, to Repeal the Alien Enemies Act By Chowdhury, Chavez, Osman, & Chughtai Whereas: In the City of Minneapolis, over 63,000 people identify as immigrants and refugees, not including the descendants of immigrants and refugees; furthermore, in the Twin Cities area, over 200,000 children (or one in four children) have an immigrant parent; and Whereas: Immigrants and refugees, and their descendants, including Caribbean Americans, bring invaluable perspectives, skills, and experiences to our city and nation; and Whereas: The City of Minneapolis is a Welcoming City, one that supports residents in achieving lives of safety, dignity, and opportunity, through supporting civic engagement, entrepreneurial activity, employment opportunities with upward mobility, protection from discrimination, and opportunities to achieve more secure immigration status, up to and including United States citizenship; and Whereas: The 1798 laws known collectively as the “Alien and Sedition Acts” were a set of four bills targeting immigrants under the guise of war and three of the four acts were repealed or allowed to expire, however the Alien Enemies Act (AEA) remains in effect today; and Whereas: the Alien Enemies Act (AEA) is counter to the values of the City of Minneapolis and is an outdated and dangerous law that violates the rights of foreign nationals in wartime and could be weaponized against immigrants in peacetime, and should repealed; and Whereas: There has been increased xenophobic rhetoric that has led to increased attacks on immigrant communities, Asian Americans, and religious minorities and this archaic law has been used to exacerbate the harm by targeting racial minorities and deny them due process and various human rights; and Whereas: The Alien Enemies Act was used in World Ward II to justify the shameful internment of Japanese, German, and Italian immigrants; and Whereas: The United States government has since recognized the injustices committed to Japanese, German, and Italian immigrants; and Whereas: The Alien Enemies Act allows the President of the United States to determine how and if foreign nationals should be apprehended, restrained, secured, and removed during times of war; and Whereas: this provision brings grave concerns on how this law enables the abuse of executive power to bypass the judicial process, target entire groups of people based on national origin, even if they are lawful residents; and Whereas: H.R. 630, known as the Neighbors not Enemies Act, introduced by Representative Ilhan Omar seeks to fully Repeal the Alien Enemies Act of 1798; and Whereas: H.R. 630, in service to protecting the human rights of our immigrant communities and upholding the Constitution of the United States of America; and NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED THAT: The City of Minneapolis supports the Neighbors not Enemies Act repealing the Alien Enemies Act 1798 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that a copy of this resolution be sent to Congresswoman Ilhan Omar, Senator Amy Klobuchar and Senator Tina Smith
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