The Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee (MIRAC) is a left-of-center immigration organization that advocates for the legalization of all illegal immigrants, calls to end all raids and deportations, and seeks to end all laws restricting immigration. MIRAC calls the United States unjust, racist, and based on white supremacy, and seeks to make Minnesota a sanctuary state. The organization has also sided against Israel and called for divestment from the country.

History

The Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee is a volunteer-based immigration advocacy organization based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. ¹ MIRAC organizes groups that oppose U.S. border-enforcement policy, rally for citizenship for all, and seek to stop immigrant deportations. ²

Positions

The Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee advocates for the legalization of all illegal immigrants, calls to end all immigration-enforcement raids and deportations, and wants all immigrants to receive legal recognition. ³ MIRAC calls the immigration system in the United States racist, unjust and white supremacist. ⁴ MIRAC states that the U.S. has taken part in imperialist wars and has an unjust economic system that are the roots of migration to the country. ⁵

MIRAC states it stands with other countries that oppose American military intervention abroad. ⁶ MIRAC supports ten propositions including: the implementation of a government identification regardless of immigration status, city money for DACA assistance, increasing the budget for the Minneapolis Office of Immigrant Affairs, increasing funding for those detained by U.S. immigration authorities, allowing non-citizens to vote in all elections in Minnesota, restricting the Minneapolis Police Department’s enforcement of immigration laws, removing power from the City of Minneapolis’s district attorney in immigration cases to turn them to a review board, increasing enforcement of labor laws, and increasing penalties on landlords if there is an immigrant complaint. ⁷

MIRAC provided questions to candidates for the Minneapolis mayor and city council races on their policy positions including the establishment of illegal immigrant ID cards, protections from Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and other issues to protect illegal immigrants. ⁸ MIRAC supported a successful effort to grant driver licenses in 2023 to illegal immigrants. ⁹ MIRAC provides resources for illegal immigrants on deportation issues, housing, food, shelter, reporting police abuse, and protesting and activism. ¹⁰ The group also provides a Spanish-speaking guide to understanding immigrant rights and English classes. ¹¹

Activity

The Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee coordinated a protest in 2023 to demand that the Biden administration cease building a southern border wall. ¹² In November 2023, MIRAC spoke at a protest outside the Minnesota Governor’s residence demanding the state divest pension funds from Israeli companies due to conflicts with Hamas. ¹³ Also in 2023, A MIRAC representative spoke at a rally in St. Paul against a Lockheed Martin manufacturing plant to protest Israel. ¹⁴

In 2024, MIRAC coordinated an event seeking to make Minnesota an “ICE free state” by barring U.S. immigration enforcement agents from the state. ¹⁵ Additionally, in 2024, MIRAC urged support of the North STAR Act that would prohibit state and local communities from assisting federal immigration officials and declare Minnesota a sanctuary state. ¹⁶

1. “MIRAC” Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee. Accessed February 11, 2024. https://www.miracmn.com/home.
2. “MIRAC” Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee. Accessed February 11, 2024. https://www.miracmn.com/home.
3. “MIRAC” Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee. Accessed February 11, 2024. https://www.miracmn.com/home.
4. “MIRAC” Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee. Accessed February 11, 2024. https://www.miracmn.com/home.
5. “MIRAC” Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee. Accessed February 11, 2024. https://www.miracmn.com/home.
6. “MIRAC” Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee. Accessed February 11, 2024. https://www.miracmn.com/home.
7. “Current Campaign.” Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee. Accessed February 11, 2024. https://www.miracmn.com/current-campaigns.
8.  “2021 Minneapolis Candidate Questionnaire.” Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee. 2021. Accessed February 11, 2024. https://www.miracmn.com/2021-candidate-questionnaire.
9. Jones, Justine. “Minnesotans Get Drivers Licenses For All.” Minneapolis St. Paul Magazine. May 25, 2023. Accessed February 11, 2024. https://mspmag.com/arts-and-culture/mn-drivers-licenses-for-all/.
10. “Resources.” Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee. Accessed February 11, 2024. https://www.miracmn.com/resources.
11. “Know Your Rights.” Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee. Accessed February 11, 2024. https://www.miracmn.com/know-your-rights; “Free Community English Classes.” Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee. Accessed February 11, 2024. https://www.miracmn.com/english-classes.
12. Breen, Sophie. “Minneapolis Protests to Demand Biden Not Expand Trump’s Border Wall.” Fight Back! News. October 31, 2024. Accessed February 11, 2024. https://fightbacknews.org/articles/minneapolis-protests-to-demand-biden-not-expand-trumps-border-wall.
13. “Thousands Interrupt MN Gov. Walz’s Sunday Football Viewing To Demand Divestment From Apartheid Israel.”  Fight Back! News. November 20, 2023. Accessed February 12, 2024. https://fightbacknews.org/articles/thousands-interrupt-mn-gov.
14. Myers, Drake. “St. Paul Picket At New Lockheed Martin Site: ‘No Minnesota Money for Weapons Manufacturers.’” Fight Back! News. October 14, 2023. Accessed February 12, 2024. https://fightbacknews.org/articles/st-paul-picket-at-new-lockheed-martin-site-no-minnesota.
15. “Rally for an I.C.E. Free Minnesota.” Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee. February 12, 2024. Accessed February 12, 2024. https://www.facebook.com/events/350262371225437?ref=newsfeed.
16. “MIRAC – Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee.” Facebook. Post February 8, 2024. Accessed February 12, 2024. https://www.facebook.com/miracmn.